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The third-richest man in the world, Warren Buffett, believes aircraft have never been safer and would still travel on the troubled Boeing 737 MAX, which was involved in two crashes that claimed the lives of nearly 350 people.
“I will never hesitate even for a second to fly on a 737 MAX,” the billionaire said in response to a question about damage to Boeing’s reputation. He was speaking on the sidelines of the annual shareholder meeting of his Berkshire Hathaway empire in Omaha, Nebraska.
It is not the first time the businessman has lauded the safety of plane industry. Just two weeks after the Boeing 737 MAX catastrophe in March, which killed all 157 people on board, Buffett said that insurance sales had fallen “because the industry has been so safe.” He added that it would not be affected by the worldwide grounding of the jets.
Berkshire Hathaway owns significant stakes in the four of the largest US airline carriers, including Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, according to CNBC. As Boeing customers, the airlines were affected by the groundings and had to extend flight cancelations for 737 MAX plane. However, Buffet does not hold shares in Boeing itself.
The investigation into the deadly crashes is ongoing, while the US aerospace giant is working on a software fix for the 737 MAX.
