【明報專訊】BOEING's new state-of-the-art 737 Max 8 jetliner crashed twice within just half a year. Many countries have ordered that passenger aircraft of the same model be suspended or grounded. However, Washington insists that the 737 Max is still airworthy. The intricate relationship between Boeing and Washington is in the spotlight again. In the past, the decisions of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set the global standards. By ordering that the plane be grounded, countries around the world have cast a vote of no-confidence in Washington and the FAA. The authority of the US as the global leader in aviation safety has been undermined. Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department initially followed whatever the FAA did and was slow in making a decision to ban the 737 Max. A review is necessary.