Good point. Aviation in Indonesia operates in a particularly challenging environment (many islands, short hops, inclement weather, problematic infrastructure, i

Good point. Aviation in Indonesia operates in a particularly challenging environment (many islands, short hops, inclement weather, problematic infrastructure, institutional culture with massive corruption and shortcuts, pervasive poverty). Given that background, I think commercial aviation there is amazingly successful and safe, by and large. On the other hand, Lion Air does have a bad reputation even in Indonesia, and I suspect not without reason. So some speculation in that regard was to be expected. What's a shame is that some commentators pinned it on Lion Air without waiting for the full picture to emerge, and it seems Boeing screwed up, here. But I don't think Boeing specifically is sacrosanct here; the discussion would have been much the same if it had been an Airbus. FWIW, I've suggested to my Indonesian friend (who's just been to the funeral of one of the victims) to avoid both Lion Air and Boeing 737-8, -9 MAX for now.