Reports that 737 MAX safety options are lucrative are nonsense
By Geoffrey Thomas Sun Mar 24, 2019
The suggestion by some media that safety options for the 737 MAX are lucrative for aircraft manufacturers are utter nonsense.
Options are a nightmare for Boeing and Airbus and snarl production lines leading too expensive delays.
For decades aircraft manufacturers have striven to limit or eliminate options to make the production process smoother and more profitable.
Balanced against that are many low-cost airlines who insist on stripped down versions to get the lowest cost aircraft thinking that the safety features are just toys for pilots.
Ryan Air in Europe even stripped out windows shades and seat back pockets in its seats to save money.
READ: Crash expert Greg Feith slams critics of 737 MAX certification
Options evolved as aircraft manufacturers tried to differentiate between their models to win sales and sometimes these options involved multiple engines choices, convertible cargo, and longer-range options and sometimes cockpit gimmicks.
Airlines also wanted - and still demand- a myriad of cabin changes to get one up on their competitors.
This resulted in all sorts of absurd situations such as a famous 101 shades of white paint for the 747.
Boeing also agreed to have switches in the 747 cockpits for one airline going forward and another going backward.
It also offered 27 different clipboard options for 747 cockpits.
Snarled production lines because of a myriad of options forced the famous Douglas Aircraft Company into a disastrous merger with McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1967.
A 1966 photo of Douglas Aircraft at Long Beach California with DC-8s and DC-9s being worked on outside at night to fit missing parts.
The company was developing three new models of its famous DC-8 and three model of the then hot selling DC-9 and production lines became chaotic.
Some DC-8s were rolled out with 30,000-man hours of work to be completed.
Another shot of the chaos from parts shortages with aircraft being worked on at Douglas in what were staff car parks.
In 1997 Boeing was forced to close its 737-production line for three weeks a month when it tried to ramp up production too fast and suppliers could not keep up the supply of parts.
The costs were over $2 billion and claimed one Boeing top leaders.
More recently Boeing and Airbus have opted for a no option policy in the cockpit that 787 and A350 being notable examples.
Driving that trend also are banks and leasing companies that are major buyers of aircraft.
Part of their business is short term lease to fill gaps in seasonal flying and they want to be able to swap aircraft between airlines without any issues of commonality.
