It is well known that the Trump administration has deep links to Boeing. When Mr. Trump said goodbye to defence secretary James Mattis in December, Patrick Shanahan came in as his acting replacement. Mr. Shanahan, who was deputy defence secretary, had spent 30 years as a Boeing executive. A former Boeing lobbyist serves as the staff director of the Senate's commerce, science and transportation committee, which is to hold hearings on aviation safety, and Boeing is routinely one of the biggest lobbyists in Washington, spending US$15.1-million to try to curry favour in Congress and the White House last year alone.