When an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 made an emergency landing due to a door seal coming loose, new alarm bells started ringing for Boeing.
The door seal on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 broke, creating a large hole that sucked in belongings at an altitude of nearly 5,000 meters on January 5. All 177 passengers and crew members on board were safe thanks to the pilot's handling skills, but the incident has caused Boeing to face many storms from the beginning of 2024.
Over the past half decade, public confidence in the leading US aircraft manufacturer has plummeted, linked to multiple incidents of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The gap in market share between Boeing and its direct European competitor Airbus has widened significantly, as the US manufacturer has seen a steady decline in orders and deliveries each year.
The new incidents threaten to further erode Boeing's credibility and standing, leaving many longtime customers and passengers increasingly concerned.
Dr. William Bensinger, an aviation medicine expert, told the Seattle Times that if the January 5 door seal failure had occurred at twice the altitude, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
Boeing designed the emergency exits to be located between the wings and the tail of the 737 MAX 9, but since some airlines did not use them, a panel was installed in their place. The panel has a window to make it look like a normal part of the fuselage.
On the night of January 5, Alaska Airlines temporarily suspended all of its 737 MAX 9 fleet as a precautionary measure. The following day, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered all 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9s in the US to stop operating for inspection and maintenance if necessary.
A door seal comes loose on an Alaska Airlines flight in Portland, Oregon, USA on January 5. Photo: Reuters
Troubles continue to crop up. On January 8, United Airlines discovered loose screws on several Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft during a preliminary inspection following the Alaska Airlines incident. United Airlines canceled 200 flights using the Boeing MAX 9 aircraft.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun acknowledged the mistake in the door seal incident during a safety meeting on January 9 and pledged to prevent it from happening again. He noted that the loose bolt issue discovered during inspections was a manufacturing defect.
Following Mr Caloun's comments, the FAA launched a review of the entire Boeing 737 MAX 9 production line, saying it would review "whether Boeing can ensure that the finished products conform to the approved design and operate safely in accordance with FAA regulations".
Alaska Airlines announced on January 23 that an inspection following the door seal incident found loose screws on many Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, causing outrage among airline executives.
"I'm not just disappointed, I'm really angry. This happened to Alaska Airlines, to our passengers and to the American people," said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines' chief executive. He called on Boeing to "improve its internal quality processes."
Boeing has since been dealt another blow. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has warned that the airline is reconsidering its multibillion-dollar order for 227 737 MAX 10s following Boeing's recent problems.
“I’m disappointed that the production issues continue to occur at Boeing. This is not a new issue,” Kirby told CNBC , adding that Boeing needs “real action” to address the production issues.
The comments from two major Boeing customers represent some of the most serious criticism the company has faced since the crisis began this month.
Boeing is also facing political pressure. On January 24, CEO Dave Calhoun had to testify before the US Congress to answer questions about the 737 MAX series being grounded.
In an attempt to limit the damage to its reputation amid delayed orders, one of Boeing's top executives has apologized.
“We have disappointed our customers and deeply apologize for the significant disruption to them, their employees and their passengers,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are working on a comprehensive plan to safely return these airplanes to service and improve our delivery quality and performance.”
The company also announced plans to address quality deterioration at all of its aircraft manufacturing and research facilities, requiring production to be halted so employees can undergo quality training.
But that apology didn’t seem to be enough to appease customers. “I think the MAX 9 events were the last straw. At the very least, we’re going to be working on a new plan that doesn’t use the MAX 10,” CEO Kirby said.
After disappointing MAX 9 sales, Boeing has bet big on the larger MAX 10, hoping to close the gap with Airbus’ A321neo. Analysts say the MAX rollout is crucial to helping Boeing maintain its 40% market share and build momentum to regain the lead from Airbus over the next decade.
But the United Airlines warning could threaten Boeing’s goals, observers say. The company’s shares have fallen 16% this year.
Boeing's current crisis is blamed on factors such as poor quality control, the race for profits and internal divisions within the company, according to former employees and analysts.
For the past decade, Boeing’s top executives have prioritized delivering planes to customers as quickly as possible. But for those working on the manufacturing floor, that goal has put them under intense pressure to meet deadlines and forced them to cut corners.
A former Boeing employee, who asked not to be named, said the intense pressure affected morale and the quality of work. They often had to work overtime to deliver planes as soon as possible. The former employee said he had to work 10-12 hours a day for many years, instead of the required eight hours.
Boeing ordered inspections of the 737 MAX in December 2023 after reports of loose screws in the tail control system. Four months earlier, Boeing discovered problems related to improperly fastened screw holes in the rear pressure bulkhead.
Observers note that the decline in the quality of Boeing aircraft also stems from the company's race to compete with Airbus.
The pressure has further divided Boeing, with aircraft makers saying executives lack an understanding of the importance and time required of their work.
Cornell Beard, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said the constant pressure also affects quality control. “We have airplanes that have problems all over the world that no one has noticed because of the pressure on people to get the job done so quickly,” he said.
Boeing 737 aircraft manufacturing plant in Renton, Washington state, USA in March 2019. Photo: Reuters
Boeing's reputation has been severely damaged since the 737 MAX 8 was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people.
After the 737 MAX was grounded for 21 months in March 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic reduced air travel demand, Boeing laid off employees close to retirement age. But as travel demand picked up again, the company faced a new problem: a lack of experienced workers. It tried to rehire retired employees to oversee production, but some refused because of the stressful work environment.
Boeing is trying to address the crisis after a series of recent problems. On January 15, the company unveiled a five-point plan to ensure the quality of its aircraft, including increased quality checks throughout the manufacturing process. Although Boeing has increased its inspections by 20% since 2019, that is still not enough to meet demand.
Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems is also under increased scrutiny. Boeing plans to inspect more than 50 points during the manufacturing process to assess whether they are meeting specifications.
The US aircraft manufacturer also confirmed that it would facilitate customers who want to review its production process and evaluate its quality. They also appointed retired US Navy Admiral Kirkland H Donald as an advisor, to work with a team of outside experts to thoroughly evaluate the quality of the aircraft.
CEO Calhoun previously said Boeing would work with regulators to ensure the incident never happened again and that "every aircraft that flies next is truly safe."
But Richard Aboulafia, chief executive of Michigan-based consulting firm AeroDyanmic Advisory, called the changes “meaningless and superficial.” Aboulafia said Boeing would need to improve the relationship between the company’s top executives and the employees who build the planes.
To achieve that, the expert said, Boeing needs to focus on adding skilled employees to high-level positions, instead of just prioritizing profits. Without that change, Boeing will "simply move from one crisis to the next," he said.
Thanh Tam (According to Al Jazeera, Reuters, FT )
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