Has Boeing shaken your confidence to fly? A new MIT study could restore it

Airfare, departure times, flight length — these are the usual considerations for travelers who want to book a flight.

But now, more are looking at a new factor: the aircraft itself.   

One in five travelers said they are doing more research into the plane they may be flying on before they book, while slightly more (22%) said they are limiting air travel for the rest of the year, according to a survey conducted in June by thedigital analytics company Quantum Metric.

Overall, 55% of travelers said they have changed the way they book flights because of recent news about aircraft and airlines, the survey showed.  

The survey did not directly mention Boeing, but a steady stream of media coverage about the company — from its quality control to business ethos — have dominated headlines since a door panel blew off a Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5, 2024.

These stories have directed consumers' focus to Boeing's aircraft, which was something travelers didn't use to pay attention to, said Danielle Harvey, global vice president and head of travel and hospitality strategy at Quantum Metric.

"Our research infers that fliers are doing more research to understand and potentially avoid Boeing aircrafts," she said.

The survey also showed 13% of respondents are avoiding discount carriers to feel more secure about flying.

But this doesn't really make sense, said Brendan Sobie, independent aviation analyst and founder of Sobie Aviation.

"First of all, there are more discount carriers operating Airbus (A320s) than Boeing (737s) particularly in Asia," he said. "And the Boeing issues, of course, impact all airlines regardless of their business model."

As unnerving as recent headlines about Boeingmay be, aviation safety is improving by the decade,