Is the FAA in the US too close to the aviation industry?

Confirmation this morning from Transportation Minister Marc Garneau, that Canada is joining dozens of countries grounding Boeing's 737 Max 8 jets after the deadly Ethiopian Air crash over the weekend.

That leaves the United States as something of an outlier among the world’s major countries, as they are still permitting those planes in its airspace.

Listeners have been suggesting to us that the US is reluctant to step in because Boeing is an American company. My next guest is a journalist who’s been writing about aviation for more than 20 years, and he has some thoughts on that.

Guest: Bill McGee

Aviation advisor for Consumer Reports

Worked as an aviation journalist for more than 20 years

Spent seven years working in airline flight operations

Confirmation this morning from Transportation Minister Marc Garneau, that Canada is joining dozens of countries grounding Boeing's 737 Max 8 jets after the deadly Ethiopian Air crash over the weekend.

That leaves the United States as something of an outlier among the world’s major countries, as they are still permitting those planes in its airspace.

Listeners have been suggesting to us that the US is reluctant to step in because Boeing is an American company. My next guest is a journalist who’s been writing about aviation for more than 20 years, and he has some thoughts on that.

Guest: Bill McGee

Aviation advisor for Consumer Reports

Worked as an aviation journalist for more than 20 years

Spent seven years working in airline flight operations