The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been investigating Boeing since a plug-in door blew out mid-air on an Alaska Airlines flight operated on a Boeing 737 Max 9, which led to grounding of all aircraft of that type until the investigation is complete.
In the latest update from the FAA, following a meeting with Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, who had previously admitted the company’s fault in the incident, the regulation body’s administrator, Mike Whitaker, informed Calhoun and his senior safety team that the aircraft manufacturer “must develop a comprehensive action plan to address its systemic quality-control issues to meet FAA’s non-negotiable safety standards.”
Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements.
Mike Whitaker, FAA Administrator
“Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations”, Whitaker said. “Boeing must take a fresh look at every aspect of their quality-control process and ensure that safety is the company’s guiding principle.”
Boeing is expected to present its plan to the FAA within 90 days from the meeting that took place on 27 February. The document must incorporate the forthcoming results of the FAA production-line audit and the latest findings from the expert review panel report.
Moreover, the plan must include steps Boeing will take to mature its Safety Management System (SMS) program, which it committed to in 2019. The manufacturer must also integrate its SMS program with a Quality Management System, which will ensure the same level of rigor and oversight is applied to the company’s suppliers and create a measurable, systemic shift in manufacturing quality control.
Boeing has been facing blow after blow since the beginning of the year. Sine then, preliminary investigations have revealed faulty hardware, loose bolts and ignored warnings from pilots. Other Boeing models have also been facing problems – the winshield of a 777 cracked on 28 February and earlier this year, the nose wheel of a 757 just fell off and rolled down the runway.
All of these have led to Boeing’s European competitor, Airbus, to gain not only the confidence of passengers, but also investors, with market values showing the different paths the two companies are on.
