Boeing is set to present a comprehensive plan to federal regulators today, outlining steps to address the persistent safety and quality issues that have plagued its aircraft manufacturing in recent years.
This move comes after a series of high-profile incidents and regulatory pressures have cast a shadow over the aerospace giant.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated Boeing to devise a turnaround strategy following a midair incident in January, where a fuselage panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight.
While no one was injured, investigators found that bolts securing the panel were missing, highlighting significant lapses in manufacturing quality control.
The incident has compounded Boeing’s challenges, already mired in multiple civil and criminal investigations.
Whistleblowers have accused the company of compromising passenger safety by taking shortcuts, claims that Boeing has strongly denied.
Nonetheless, an FAA-convened panel identified significant shortcomings in the company’s safety culture.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, in late February, gave Boeing a 90-day deadline to develop a robust plan to address these issues. “It’s going to be a long road to get Boeing back to where they need to be, making safe airplanes,”
Whitaker remarked in an interview with ABC News last week. He emphasized that the proposed plan is merely the beginning of a prolonged effort to enhance Boeing’s safety protocols.
In response to the safety concerns, the FAA has restricted Boeing’s production of the 737 Max, its best-selling aircraft. Industry analysts suggest that Boeing’s production levels have dropped even below these imposed limits.
Boeing’s current troubles have resurrected discussions about potential criminal prosecutions linked to the fatal crashes of two Max jetliners in 2018 and 2019.
The Justice Department recently stated that Boeing violated a 2021 settlement agreement that had allowed the company to avoid fraud prosecution.
The settlement was based on allegations that Boeing misled regulators about a flight-control system implicated in the crashes.
While the majority of recent issues are associated with the 737 Max, Boeing has also faced manufacturing challenges with other aircraft, including the 787 Dreamliner.
Key supplier Spirit AeroSystems has been involved in these problems, leading Boeing to increase oversight of the supplier. Additionally, the company has encountered setbacks with other programs, such as its Starliner space capsule, military refueling tankers, and the new Air Force One jets.
Boeing officials have expressed a commitment to restoring trust with regulators and the flying public. The company, struggling to keep pace with European rival Airbus, has seen production delays negatively impact its cash flow.
As part of its improvement strategy, Boeing aims to reduce “traveled work”—assembly tasks completed out of sequence—and enhance monitoring of its supply chain, particularly focusing on Spirit AeroSystems.
The plan Boeing presents today will be closely scrutinized as the company seeks to navigate its way out of its current crisis and rebuild its reputation for safety and reliability in the aviation industry.