Avoiding the Boeing 737 Max, acquiring a Russian e-visa and BA strike fears

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

Safety concerns: Boeing 737 Max planes were grounded this year after a fatal crash (Reuters)

Q I read that Boeing expects the 737 Max to be back in the air by October. I’m a frequent flyer but I really don’t feel comfortable with the idea of flying on one. What can I do to avoid it?

Joanna D

A No doubt you will have flown dozens of times on the Boeing 737. More have been made than any other airliner in history. But the latest variant of the twin-jet plane was grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes – one in Indonesia and another in Ethiopia – which killed a total of 346 people. Common to both crashes was the uncommanded deployment of an anti-stall measure known as the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, in response to a faulty instrument reading. In both accidents the pilots battled vainly to defeat the system, which forced the nose down to counter a non-existent stall.