Boeing reveals Thursday its plan to address safety and quality issues, CBS News reported.
Boeing has proposed a comprehensive plan to address longstanding safety and quality issues in its aircraft manufacturing processes, following a directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This initiative comes in response to an incident involving a Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner, operated by Alaska Airlines, where a fuselage panel blew out during a flight in January, although no injuries occurred, according to CBS News.
Boeing told federal regulators Thursday how it plans to fix the safety and quality problems that have plagued its aircraft-manufacturing work in recent years.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 30, 2024
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker emphasized the importance of Boeing’s commitment to transformative actions.
“Today, we reviewed Boeing’s roadmap to set a new standard of safety and underscored that they must follow through on corrective actions and effectively transform their safety culture,” Whitaker said after he met with senior company leaders, CBS News stated.
“On the FAA’s part, we will make sure they do and that their fixes are effective. This does not mark the end of our increased oversight of Boeing and its suppliers, but it sets a new standard of how Boeing does business,” he added.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 25: An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 taxis at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on March 25, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. A mid-air door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight and subsequent grounding of flights precipitated a management shakeup at Boeing as CEO David Calhoun announced his resignation.. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
The panel failure on the Alaska Airlines flight was attributed to missing bolts, which should have secured the panel to the aircraft’s frame. This incident has further damaged Boeing’s reputation, already marred by the fatal crashes of two Max jetliners in 2018 and 2019, and has led to both civil and criminal investigations, the outlet reported. Following the incident, the FAA restricted Boeing’s production of the 737 Max, its best-selling aircraft. Whitaker confirmed that production limits would remain until the FAA is satisfied with Boeing’s progress on the outlined safety measures. (RELATED: REPORT: New Suicide Note From Boeing Whistleblower Revealed)
Over the past three months, the FAA has conducted 30- and 60-day reviews with Boeing to clarify regulatory expectations and monitor the company’s progress on required actions. These actions include minimizing “traveled work” — tasks completed out of sequence in the assembly process — and enhancing oversight of key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, according to CBS News. Boeing’s challenges extend beyond the 737 Max, issues have also emerged with the 787 Dreamliner, and the company has faced setbacks with other major projects, including its Starliner space capsule, military refueling tanker and the new Air Force One jets.
