AND FINALLY: Another Boeing invention

Boeing is known for its innovations, but its use of the Queen’s English is not one of its strengths.

It has invented the word “ungrounding”. It is not in Webster's Dictionary, considered to be the US equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary, which also does not mention the verb.

A MAX press release issued last week by Seattle does fails to give a firm date when the aircraft might be “ungrounding”, that is, back in the air operating revenue flights.

No doubt for an important announcement it had to pass muster of the PR department, then the legal team, and finally the Board. It must be the most expensive new word in history.

“Ungrounding” to BTN means the opposite of “grounding”, sadly the current fate of the latest Boeing.

Hopefully the FAA administrator Steve Dickson will explain more when he talks to the Aviation Club at the RAC in a couple of weeks. Please see BTN 20 January.

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