Hong Kong, April 1 -- There were no survivors from the 737 MAX Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, but unlike the majority of such accidents, these two tragedies have far wider ramifications for the aviation industry. They draw attention to at least two aspects of airline operations that only have become evident in recent years.
Being first to market with a new jet used to be a winning formula for carriers striving to stay a step ahead of rivals. No more. Being a launch customer is proving to be a risky and costly business.
Two prime examples were the long delays in the introduction of the A380 and 787 Dreamliner. There were serious issues with lithium batteries igniting on the Dreamliner and later, problems with Rolls-Royce engines ...