This is all what happens when you take a brilliant engineering company and turn it into a money machine and sinecure for favorite politicians and deregulate safeguarding systems to enable that. When financiers and 'shareholder value' take over, safety goes out the window - literally as we now see.
Nok Air is sensible. I've got a pretty good grounding and background in aviation and airlines. I love flying. Feel safer in a microlight at 5000 feet than riding a motorbike taxi. If I got to the end of an airbridge and found I was about to board a 73Max I'd do a smart about turn even if I lost the fare.
That story is not over by a long chalk. The lies, messing around, denial and downright contempt for passenger and crew lives are evident in both the company upper management still, as well as the cuddly relationship with the people who are supposed to be regulating them. We're seeing an extended PR campaign by both parties.
Some flight booking sites are wising up to it as well, and advising potential pax that they will be flying the Max. I can't remember which, but I saw it reported recently (with evidence).
For info I was a great fan of Boeing when it was an engineering company, and we operated 72s and early 73s. Knew 72s intimately having spent many years dispatching them and on cockpit jump seats on duty. Always flew up front when I was free riding on holiday as well. Fabulous machines. Had no qualms flying on a TG 77 back to Europe recently. But Max? No way José. Rather walk or take the bus.
That company needs a complete scrubbing from the inside out with wire brushes and bleach. And above all it needs returning to the engineers.