Boeing apologises for 737 MAX crashes as Paris Air Show opens

A top Boeing executive apologised Monday for two crashes of 737 MAX jets that together killed 346 people, disasters which have pushed safety to the top of the agenda as aerospace firms gathered for the opening of the Paris Air Show.

The US aerospace giant is battling to regain the trust of passengers, pilots and regulators after a 737 operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air flight crashed last October, followed by an Ethiopian Airlines jet in March.

“We are very sorry for the loss of lives as a result of the tragic accidents... our thoughts and our prayers are with their families,” Boeing’s head of commercial aircraft Kevin McAllister said.