That's not what was being talked about. Sure, it's the safest aircraft out there, but that's like saying "the safest car". No-one is going to go and seek out the safest car, maybe stay away from unsafe ones, but as long as the general level of safety is high, people will fly on anything.

The problem here is just simply ethics. Boeing did a bad thing, therefore I will refuse to use this plane. If enough people think similarly, Boeing will be punished harshly by its clients, as airlines see that the plane is not profitable due to its public image.