Raw Data - One needs to distinguish between the desire of the operators to keep aircraft flying without incident and their ability to actually do so.
Certainly the loss of airfoil surfaces was not intended or desired on this or prior occasions, so one must observe that the failures are a result of the operators' inability to properly maintain the aircraft - at least in this specific narrow regard.
Aviation has long been fertile ground for the proliferation of "advanced" technologies in construction, design, materials and concepts. Success of application of any technology depends on its ability to perform when designed (i.e. certification) and also to perform throughout a reliable working life.
Even pampered aircraft lead rough lives in their service as beasts of burden. The postcard view of sunlight glinting off a polished wing suffers slightly with greater proximity where one can see the dings and patches and wrinkles on most seasoned aerial workhorses. The good news is that the art and science of maintenance keep most aircraft safe and serviceable for a long time, even if not as pretty as on day 1.
So, the rub is that sometimes maintenance and diagnostic methods do not fully keep up with the "advanced" failure modes of advanced technologies. That seems to be the case here.
We know that the resourcefulness of aircrews can rescue aircraft from mechanical failures that leave them seriously impaired. We also know that a bit of masking tape or chewing gum in the wrong place can occasionally lead to serious consequences. I interpret this to mean that anything which ain't right is potentially serious.
The aircraft industry is (or was, until recently) busy laminating, bonding, & computerizing aircraft systems, parts and pieces at a great rate. The new methods associated with each of these have been 'perfected' for production, but in some cases seem to not be totally thought through for the full life cycle of use, diagnosis, and repair in the gritty world of commerce.
Perhaps the big C - always a trendsetter - is revealing a phenomenon - of insufficient means for fault anticipation in certain manufactured assemblies - that will more broadly affect the industry in time future?