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Oman Airports to host World Travel Awards Grand Final 2019 at Royal Opera House Muscat

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World Travel Awards (WTA) has partnered with Oman Airports to host its highly-anticipated Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2019 on 28th November at the Royal Opera House Muscat. Leading figureheads and decision-makers of the global travel industry will attend the red-carpet gala reception in the beautiful Sultanate of Oman.

Dramatically wedged between soaring mountains and the Arabian Sea, the ancient city of Muscat is home to old forts, flower-filled parks and rich traditions.

Oman Airports, a government entity established as one of the key pillars in Oman’s tourism sector, will proudly host the prestigious ceremony at one of the country’s landmarks, The Royal Opera House Muscat. As an important arm of the Oman Aviation Group Companies, hosting the anticipated WTA event will further strengthen the tourism and transport sectors in the Sultanate.

Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA, said: “We are honoured to host our Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2019 in the Sultanate of Oman. From magnificent mountains and paradise beaches to beautiful deserts, Oman offers a wealth of incredible landscapes and travel experiences. I look forward to welcoming the world’s most senior decision-makers for our first ceremony in this incredible country.”

He added: “WTA has maintained its position as the industry leader for the past 26 years, consistently proving its value as the global benchmark for recognising excellence in travel and tourism. I greatly look forward to welcoming the world’s most senior travel industry figures to this incredible country for the culmination of our year-long search to find the world’s finest travel brands.”

Joining forces with renowned international bodies such as the WTA will further enhance the Sultanate’s position as a key regional player in the travel and tourism industry for both the business and leisure segments.

Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Airports said: “Hosting the WTA Grand Final Gala Ceremony also enables us to bolster our support for the Oman Aviation Group to strengthen the tourism and transport sectors and achieve the strategic goals of Oman 2040. Having approached international markets and strengthened our relationships with key players in the travel and tourism sectors over the years, we felt it our responsibility to support and host international events of such magnitude here in Muscat. Our sponsorship of this grand event will further enable us to attract global travel and tourism brands to visit Oman and see first-hand its true beauty and potential.”

Over the past year since the opening of its new terminal, Muscat International Airport, the Jewel of Oman, has witnessed considerable shifts in its prevailing approach to high-level service and travel experiences, which have enhanced the airport’s reputation at international levels. Significant achievements have led to the airport being awarded multiple times for its outstanding performance, winning ‘Middle East’s Leading New Tourism Development Project Award 2018’, ‘World Leading New Airport 2018’, and ‘Middle East’s Leading Airport 2019’.

Regional ceremonies on the WTA Grand Tour 2019 include Montego Bay (Jamaica), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Mauritius, Madeira (Portugal), La Paz (Bolivia), Phu Quoc (Vietnam). The winners of these regional ceremonies progress to the Grand Final in Oman when the winners of the prestigious World categories will be unveiled.

Good news for The Bahamas

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The Islands Of The Bahamas continue to be a leading destination for travelers around the world. While the Caribbean, as a whole, is showing a positive forward booking situation for the next three months, The Bahamas is showing even more demand than expected, with new airlift to Nassau being added from major hubs across the globe. In other exciting news, The Bahamas was recently named Top Island in The Caribbean by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards.

NEWS

The Bahamas Have Rebounded – The latest ForwardKeys survey showed The Bahamas are rebounding faster than expected following Hurricane Dorian. Just one month after the hurricane, The Bahamas’ tourism numbers reached 80% when compared to pre-hurricane tourism volumes. The Caribbean, as a whole, is expecting a 1.4% increase in arrivals from November – January compared to last year.

Grand Bahama Island Is Open for Business – One of the islands hit by Hurricane Dorian is ready to welcome tourists. The Grand Bahama International Airport will re-open to international flights on November 15, 2019. Many hotels on the island have re-opened and cruise ships resumed calling to the island as early as September 27.

United Airlines Adds Non-Stop Service between Denver and Nassau – United Airlines have added Saturday-only non-stop service from Denver to Nassau. The service begins March 7, 2020 and continues through August 15, 2020.

British Airways Increases Non-Stop Service between London and Nassau – Beginning March 29, 2020, British Airways will operate non-stop service between London Heathrow and Nassau every Tuesday. British Airways will now offer non-stop service between London and Nassau Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s New Nassau Offering – Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line introduced its popular cruise and stay program to Nassau. Departing from the port of West Palm Beach, passengers can choose from a two or six night stay at participating resorts in Nassau, including SLS Baha Mar, The Melia Nassau Beach All-Inclusive or Comfort Suites Paradise Island. Over 250,000 stayover guests are expected to arrive to in The Islands Of The Bahamas in the next year.

MOT POST DORIAN OPEN FOR BUSINESS COVERAGE

• PR Results By The Numbers:

60+ media interviews and requests fulfilled
200+ placements pitched and secured featuring “Islands Open for Business” messaging
917MM+ positive media impressions generated, and counting.

AWARDS

The Bahamas Awarded in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards – The Islands Of The Bahamas placed tenth in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 10 Islands in The Caribbean & Atlantic. Despite the trying hurricane season, The Islands continue to be a leader in Caribbean travel.

Christmas at Frankfurt Airport: Gift cards, shopping, dining and much more

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During the weeks before Christmas, the terminals at Frankfurt Airport are incandescent with the glow of thousands of lights. Like every year, shops and restaurants invite guests to go on an extensive shopping tour while taking advantage of attractive bargains and yuletide culinary creations. Major international brands mingle with regional and “typical German” products. Small but exquisite owner-run boutiques are interspersed with startlingly innovative shops that would be hard to find anywhere else.

The airport’s Visitor Service has come up with a very special gift idea: an “experience gift card” that entitles bearers to immerse themselves in the fascination of the airport. The card can be purchased for any amount starting at seven euros. It can be used for one of the many different airport tours, for the Visitors’ Terrace, or for making purchases in the shop run by the Visitor Service, which carries a wide range of unusual articles and souvenirs that delight aviation fans of all ages (they can naturally also be bought in the usual way). The gift cards are available for downloading from www.FRA-Gutscheine.com, and you can print them out yourself along with a personalized greeting. They can also be bought in the “FRA Airport Tours & Shop” in the departures hall of Terminal 1 or at the entrance to the Visitors’ Terrace.

Last-Minute Home Shopping

If you prefer to shop from the comfort of your home or hotel, you’ll find lots to choose from in the Frankfurt Airport Online Shop. At Christmas time there is a gift finder that provides tips on what to give her or him or children and suggests electronic products, sweets and other foods and much more for any budget. Frankfurt Airport is also ideal for last-minute shopping and purchases: the shops and restaurants are open on all holidays―on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Even until 6 p.m., and on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day starting as early as 9 a.m.

Passengers and visitors can find more information on the wide range of services available at Frankfurt Airport by visiting its website, service shop, or Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube social media pages.

Fraport reports solid revenue and earnings performance in first nine months of 2019

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Fraport AG continued its growth trend in the first nine months of the 2019 business year, achieving an increase in both revenue and earnings.

This positive performance was driven by solid traffic growth at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and the Fraport Group’s airports worldwide. However, the growth momentum has been slowing down during the year to date.

Fraport AG’s executive board chairman, Dr. Stefan Schulte, said: “Our industry is being impacted by the weaker global economy and consolidation of the European aviation market. Furthermore, regulatory interventions by the German government – such as the planned increase to the national air traffic tax – are also affecting our sector.

After a phase of rapid traffic growth, airlines are cutting back their plans and thinning out their winter schedules. Nevertheless, we are maintaining our full-year outlook for the 2019 business year – also backed by the ongoing positive performance of our Group airports worldwide. Thanks to Fraport’s large and diversified portfolio of international airports, we are well positioned for the future.”

International activities boost growth in revenue and earnings

In the January-to-September 2019 period, Fraport’s Group revenue increased by 12.0 percent to €2,852.2 million year-on-year. After adjusting for proceeds related to expansion investments at the Group‘s airports worldwide (based on
IFRIC 12), revenue rose by 5.2 percent to €2,486.7 million. At Frankfurt Airport, factors contributing to revenue growth included higher proceeds from ground handling services, airport and infrastructure charges, as well as security services. Retail, parking and advertising revenue also increased significantly. However, Fraport’s international portfolio clearly continued to be the largest revenue driver. In particular, the Group company in Lima (up €30.5 million), Fraport Greece (up €25.4 million) and Fraport USA (up €21.8 million) contributed substantially to the Group’s adjusted revenue growth.

The operating result or Group EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) rose by 7.7 percent to €948.2 million in the nine-month reporting period. The first-time application of IFRS 16 had a positive effect on EBITDA, adding €34.0 million year-on-year. From the beginning of January 2019, the mandatory IFRS 16 international financial reporting standard establishes new rules for the accounting of leases – specifically affecting the accounting of lease contracts concluded by Fraport USA. At the same time, the application of IFRS 16 alone resulted in a €32.8 million increase in depreciation and amortization. Group EBIT saw a correspondingly moderate rise of 2.6 percent to €595.3 million. The Group result (or net profit) grew noticeably by 9.4 percent to €413.5 million. This was due to the improved operating result, as well as the markedly higher contribution from the Group subsidiary in Antalya, which is consolidated using the at equity method.

Solid traffic performance achieved despite slowing growth momentum

Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport advanced by a solid 2.3 percent to about 54.2 million travelers during the first nine months of the year. This growth momentum, however, decelerated noticeably over the course of the year. Based on current planning by the airlines, FRA will see a four percent reduction in the number of flights for the 2019/20 winter schedule (effective October 27) compared to the same schedule in the previous year. This reduction is due entirely to the 5.6 percent decline in European traffic, while scheduled intercontinental flights will climb by nearly 2 percent.

Fraport’s Group airports worldwide also saw passenger traffic largely increase in the first nine months, despite some airlines reducing flight offerings or even filing for bankruptcy. Only at the Fraport Twin Star airports of Varna and Burgas, combined passenger traffic dropped noticeably by 11.6 percent year-on-year.

Outlook confirmed

Fraport AG’s executive board is maintaining its full-year traffic outlook for Frankfurt Airport. Given the reduction in flight offerings for the current winter schedule, FRA’s passenger growth is expected to reach the lower end of the forecast range of about 2 percent to 3 percent. The executive board is also maintaining the financial outlook for the full 2019 business year. Group EBITDA is expected to be reach between approximately €1,160 million and €1,195 million, while Group EBIT is forecast between about €685 million and €725 million. Group EBT is projected to be around €570 million to €615 million, and the Group result (net profit) between approximately €420 million and €460 million.

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Fraport: Growth momentum slows in October 2019

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Some 6.4 million passengers traveled through Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in October 2019, up 1.0 percent compared to the same month last year.

In the first ten months of 2019, passenger traffic at FRA grew by 2.2 percent. In the reporting month, aircraft movements decreased by 1.3 percent to 45,938 takeoffs and landings, while accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) contracted slightly by 0.3 percent to about 2.8 million metric tons. Cargo throughput (airfreight + airmail) dropped by 7.3 percent to 179,273 metric tons. Overall, FRA’s traffic development in October was impacted by the global economic slowdown, reductions in flight offerings, and a number of airline bankruptcies.

These dampening factors also affected some of Fraport’s Group airports worldwide. Ljubljana Airport (LJU) in Slovenia served 99,231 passengers in the reporting month, down 38.5 percent. Fraport’s two Brazilian airports of Fortaleza (FOR) and Porto Alegre (POA) saw combined traffic decline by 2.5 percent to some 1.3 million passengers. Growing by 2.6 percent, Peru’s Lima Airport (LIM) recorded nearly 2.0 million travelers.

Fraport’s 14 Greek regional airports posted combined traffic growth of 1.6 percent to around 2.5 million passengers. In Bulgaria, traffic at the Fraport Twin Star airports of Varna (VAR) and Burgas (BOJ) decreased by 5.7 percent overall to 145,772 passengers. In contrast, Antalya Airport (AYT) in Turkey saw traffic rise by 10.7 percent to about 4.1 million passengers. Pulkovo Airport (LED) in St. Petersburg, Russia, also achieved a 10.6 percent increase, serving some 1.7 million passengers. At Xi’an Airport (XIY) in China, traffic advanced by 3.4 percent to over 4.1 million passengers.

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WTM: The future of air travel and digital travel

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Advances in digital and artificial intelligence for air travel are coming in thick and fast, World Travel Market (WTM) London delegates heard.

Liam McKay, Director of Corporate Affairs at London City Airport told WTM delegates it won’t be long before biometrics replace paper documents and check in will be carried out somewhere else.

During a session entitled Gathering Storms, Airlines and Airports, he said: “In the future, there will be less space than you expect for check in. It won’t be done in the future at an airport. It will be done at your office or at home.

“Currently, we have travellers flying from London City who work at Canary Wharf can drop off bags at their offices.

“Soon you’ll be able to turn up without your passport. It will be more or less a paperless experience based on biometrics. That future is much closer than you think.”

Hank Jan Gerzee, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, told the moderator John Strickland the airport already has the facility for people to drop off luggage at the car park, before they get into the terminal.

In another development, the world’s first automatic bridge to allow passengers to walk off the aircraft and into the terminal, has been installed at Schiphol, speeding up the disembarkation process for flyers and helping aircraft to be more punctual.

Virtual assistants, multi-language websites and wearable technology will shape the future of digital travel, a WTM London session also heard today.

The themes emerged in a discussion entitled ‘Genesys Session: The Future of Digital Travel’ led by Paul Richer, founder of technology consultancy Genesys.

Daniel Wishnia, chief digital transformation officer at German property company Aroundtown said the $2.1 billion purchase of Fitbit by Google two weeks ago illustrated how important wearable health and tracking devices would be in future.

“The message is prediction – to try and understand a person’s behaviour, to see what that person will choose and buy.”

Virtual assistance and voice technology were part of this future, he said. “It’s not only about the weather forecast, it’s about where can I go? My assistant knows I like sushi, and recommends restaurants that are nearby. This kind of data will lead us to understand how we approach our future customers.”

Devices like Alexa and Google Assistant will eventually shape travel decisions through learning more about our tastes, lifestyle and health, he said.

“The assistant will be interactive; it will know your calendar and tell you it’s time to take a break.”

Joel Brandon-Bravo, vice president of travel solutions at translation service TransPerfect warned of the need for multi-lingual approaches. He said that of the $30 trillion growth in middle class consumption predicted between 2015 and 2030, only $1 trillion would not come from Asia. Similarly, there were no English speaking countries among the top 10 emerging markets.

Proxy technology, where an enquiry is redirected to a hosted site in the client’s own language, would permit new market penetration, he said. He also urged companies not to think that no new social media channels would emerge, citing the enormous recent growth of short form mobile video site TikTok.

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Lufthansa makes dedicated staff look bad: The eTN Hero is Patricia Dzai of Swissport Johannesburg

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Lufthansa

“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.

Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.

Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.

When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.

I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.

Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.

I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.

I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.

The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.

The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.

The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.

I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.

I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.

This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.

Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.

Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.

It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.

There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.

No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.

I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.

She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.

It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.

I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.

Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.

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TSA: New airport security scanner poses “privacy risks” to passengers

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US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is demanding modifications of a new airport security system because it poses “privacy risks” to passengers by showing too much of them on display, a newly published document has revealed.

Following a demonstration, the Transportation Security Administration has requested changes to the contract because the scanner they received “has privacy risks associated with the Graphical User Interface,” says the document dated March 26 and made public by Quartz on Monday.

While the document provides no further details on the exact nature of the privacy risks, the TSA required the scanner’s manufacturer to add additional security features before it would consider using the device in a “live environment.”

Using another government database, Quartz identified the contractor – whose name is redacted in the document – as Virginia security firm ThruVision. The document refers to ThruVision’s TAC scanner, which the company describes as a “proven people-screening camera that sees any type of item.”

The device is supposed to be part of TSA’s “Future Lane Experience” (FLEx), an effort to speed up security checks that have become a major headache for passengers in many airports.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority partnered with the TSA last year to deploy ThruVision’s portable TS4 scanner, which the TSA claims to have vetted “extensively” prior to using it on LA commuters. It is unclear whether the TSA had similar concerns about the TS4 before the device was used in the field.

Revelations about the TSA concerns over the new scanner come after last week’s report by ProPublica that accused the agency’s current hardware of “discriminating” against African-Americans by misreading their hair, requiring a disproportionate number of pat-downs.

The ACLU slammed the TSA in 2009 for using scanning technology to conduct “virtual strip searches” that provided TSA employees with photos of passengers’ genitals, breasts and buttocks. More was revealed in 2010, when the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) published TSA documents which further detail the scanners’ invasiveness.

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SITA: Tracking airline passenger bags drives 66% improvement in baggage delivery

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Airlines that are adding tracking at more points of the baggage journey are enjoying a huge improvement in bag delivery globally. The SITA 2019 Baggage IT Insights – officially launched at an event in Abu Dhabi International Airport today – shows that where tracking is done at check-in and loading onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement is as high as 66%.

These results come as the record drop in the baggage mishandling rate achieved globally over the past decade plateaus, with the rate steady at around 5.7 bags per thousand passengers over the past three years. In 2018, the rate was 5.69 per thousand passengers.

Over the past year, an increasing number of airlines and airports have started to introduce tracking at key points in the journey – check-in, loading onto the aircraft, transfers and arrival – to improve baggage management and further reduce the chances of a bag being mishandled. SITA’s research provides the first glimpse of the success of this tracking. It reveals that where bags were being tracked when loaded onto the aircraft, the rate of improvement ranged between 38% and 66% depending on the level of tracking introduced.

Peter Drummond, Director of Baggage at SITA, said: “While the mishandling rate has started to plateau over the past few years, this comes against a continued growth in passenger numbers and their bags. In 2018, 4.36 billion travelers checked in more than 4.27 billion bags. More bags makes things more challenging. Everyone across the industry needs to look beyond the process and technology improvements made in the past decade and adopt the latest technology such as tracking to make the next big cut in the rate of mishandled bags.”

Ahmed Juma Al Shamsi, Acting Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “For our passengers the timely delivery of baggage is key to ensuring a seamless passenger experience and therefore an area in which we continue to make further improvements. Looking forward, baggage tracking is fundamental to driving more accurate bag delivery not only at Abu Dhabi International Airport but across the entire passenger journey. We have led the way with the introduction of tracking on arrival and we have already seen significant improvements.”

Transferring baggage from one aircraft, or airline, to another remains a pinch point in the journey and in 2018 it was again the main reason for bags being mishandled. Transfer bags accounted for 46% of all mishandled bags.
Drummond added: “Transfer is by far the most difficult stage to track a bag as there are multiple airlines and airports involved. However, data from this year’s report shows that tracking at key points in the journey, such as transfers, will go a long way to eliminating mishandling and will allow airlines and their passengers to keep tabs on where their bags are at every step of the way.”

Over the past decade, total number of mishandled bags per annum has plummeted 47% from 46.9 million in 2007 to 24.8 million in 2018, while the annual bill footed by the industry has shrunk 43% to $2.4 billion, down from $4.22 billion in 2007.

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Boeing scraps 2019 financial forecast, halts share buybacks in wake of 737 MAX disaster

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World’s biggest aerospace corporation was forced to pull its full financial forecast for the current year due to unresolved issues surrounding Boeing’s once best-selling 737 MAX aircraft.

Boeing also announced plans to pause share buybacks, citing “a challenging time for our customers, stakeholders and the company.”

“Across the company, we are focused on safety, returning the 737 MAX to service, and earning and re-earning the trust and confidence of customers, regulators and the flying public,” Boeing Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement.

The manufacturer had previously posted a report on the first-quarter earnings that managed to fall in line with analysts’ expectations, while its revenue was slightly less than projected. Boeing’s earning per share totaled the expected $3.16 from January through March, while the revenue amounted to $22.92 billion against $22.98 billion forecasted by London-based provider of financial markets data Refinitiv.

Boeing stressed that the previous guidance didn’t reflect the impact of two crashes of the company’s flagship planes, leading to the grounding of all 737 MAX 8 jets by global regulators, lawsuits from some air carriers and a decline in market value.

According to the producer, more than 135 test and production flights of updated software for the 737 MAX have been carried out so far.

Boeing’s bestseller crashed on March 10 not far from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa six minutes after takeoff on the way to Nairobi, Kenya. The tragedy, which killed 157 people, marked the second crash involving the same jet model in less than six months. In October, the same type of aircraft, operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air, crashed in the Java Sea shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of 189 people.

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