Comet 1 fell apart, Comet 2, 3 and 4 were efficient, reliable and safe aircraft, but the airline business/public never regained faith in the type. Once you get a a bad reputation its almost impossible to clear the stigma.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-...robe/101175214
The ABC article sums up what the public see, a type still plagued by problems, it might not be MCAS, although a few of the incidents definitely sound familiar.
The only real option if you want to operate a sour type is to pray it doesn't have another episode and that the public memory of events fades as a result. You have to remember that airlines are as much customer service as transportation, you have to give the customer as much of what they want, if they don't like a type, then you can either put up with a % loss of passengers to that, or operate things they want. The argument over the A380 is along that line, the passengers love it, but can you charge them enough to overcome its high operational costs. 737 max is the opposite, its an accountants aircraft, good to generate good yield on average routes, but, passengers are a bit sus of the Max and generally don't like being in 737 over 1 hour. I know if I fly over 2 hours I will avoid a 737 at all costs, and try to get on the 330 or even A320, the chance of being stuck in a center seat on a 737 is just too horrible to contemplate, a Bandeirante is more comfortable even without ear protection...