Last Updated on: 22nd March 2019, 03:15 pm
I’m not even talking about with the benefit of hindsight here. Shouldn’t anyone worth a shit at anything realize that allowing manufacturers to make safety into a profitable luxury would lead to cheap ass airlines skimping on it and it wouldn’t end well? Safety isn’t a nice to have, you fucking criminals. It’s the most important concern you have, right next to does this thing fly? It’s a standard feature. Charging extra for fire extinguishers and properly functioning computers is like selling pianos and making people pay two more times if they’d like them with keys and strings. Doomed Boeing Jets Lacked 2 Safety Features That Company Sold Only as Extras
As the pilots of the doomed Boeing jets in Ethiopia and Indonesia fought to control their planes, they lacked two notable safety features in their cockpits.
One reason: Boeing charged extra for them.
For Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers, the practice of charging to upgrade a standard plane can be lucrative. Top airlines around the world must pay handsomely to have the jets they order fitted with customized add-ons.
Sometimes these optional features involve aesthetics or comfort, like premium seating, fancy lighting or extra bathrooms. But other features involve communication, navigation or safety systems, and are more fundamental to the plane’s operations.
Many airlines, especially low-cost carriers like Indonesia’s Lion Air, have opted not to buy them — and regulators don’t require them.
This is ridiculous! It reminds me of how some companies consider accessibility to be a “feature.” Um, no. And, have a song.
If it’s a feature, it should be a standard one just like safety ought to be. You design with things like safety in mind, you don’t essentially say well, they’ll be ok if they open their wallet, but otherwise I hope they like gravity.