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Nearly a year after a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 aircraft, Boeing says it has made strides improving safety for airline passengers.
The company announced Friday that it focused on four main categories of improvements: elevating safety and quality culture, investing in workforce training, simplifying manufacturing processes and plans, and eliminating defects.
Boeing aircraft have had several safety incidents over the past few years, from two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets that killed everybody on board, to a door plug blowout that sent passengers’ clothing and cell phones hurling through a gaping hole in the plane’s fuselage as air from the cabin rushed out. After the latter incident, multiple whistleblower came forward, alleging that questionable parts were used on the assembly line, among other potential hazards.
Boeing has maintained all along that its planes are safe to fly. But the Federal Aviation Administration has off-and-on grounded various versions of the company’s 737, 777 and 787 jets over the past several years as it has discovered potential safety, quality and production issues.
The company set a goal last year to turn around quality, according to George Ferguson, senior aerospace, defense and airline analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. But that was interrupted, too.
“We didn’t get it because of the door plug problem,” Ferguson said.
On top of that, Ferguson said, the International Association of Machinists union went on strike in September. The strike, lasted two months and proved to be the costliest labor action in the United States in more than 25 years, ending in November.
And just a few days ago, another of Boeing’s planes crashed, killing 179 passengers and crew out of 181 on board. The crash’s investigation is still well underway and there has been no indication that the incident was linked to the manufacturing of the plane.
Outgoing FAA chief Mike Whitaker, however, wrote in a blog post that the company is in need of long-term fixes.
“This is not a one-year project,” Whitaker wrote. “What’s needed is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing that’s oriented around safety and quality above profits. That will require sustained effort and commitment from Boeing, and unwavering scrutiny on our part.”
Boeing said in a safety update Friday that it has addressed over 70% of commercial airplane production “action items” based on employee feedback during its “quality stand down” sessions. The plane maker also says it has invested in its “speak up” system to strengthen confidentiality, while keeping employees informed of the status of any concerns they raise about quality and safety issues.
There’s also a new “move ready” criteria across its final assembly line for the 737, 787, and portions of the 767 and 777 lines to mitigate risks. The company said it has also invested in more training, including mandatory product safety and quality training for all employees.
Mechanics and quality inspectors will also have to stamp their names on completed work. The lack of documentation at Boeing became a talking point among lawmakers after Boeing failed to provide records on the door plug incident, saying that there were none.
Despite the public concern around Boeing, Ferguson doesn’t believe there will be a long-term impact on the company’s reputation, but recognizes there’s still hesitancy with the plane maker.
“The Boeing name has been muddied a bit,” Ferguson said, noting that “their concern rises when it’s a Boeing airplane.”
“I think that will be the story for 2025,” Ferguson added. “The story will be getting quality under control.”
