Boeing unveils plan following incident
A whistleblower and Boeing employees raised multiple concerns about the company and its suppliers through an internal reporting system. An occurrence on a flight in January sparked the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take action. Now, Boeing has submitted a required plan to tackle the safety issues.
Recently, American aircraft manufacturer Boeing presented its "roadmap" to FAA leaders at a meeting. Boeing's top executives met with FAA Chief Mike Whitaker in the presence of journalists after a three-hour discussion. They shared a "comprehensive action plan" with the regulatory agency, which they'd been requested to provide since an incident with an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 on January 5. During this flight, part of the cabin wall became detached, leading to an emergency landing. The FAA subsequently ordered the grounding of 171 planes of this kind early this year.
On February 28, the FAA gave Boeing a deadline of 90 days to "address the systemic problems with quality control" and meet "the non-negotiable safety standards of the FAA." Within this time frame, progress reports were submitted after 30 and 60 days.
Boeing's plan features six Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) designed to measure the quality of production in real-time, serving as a "dashboard" for monitoring safety improvements. Boeing has assured the FAA of a systematic approach to detecting insecurities and risk management. Furthermore, they're planning better training for employees and enhanced communication with all parties involved – including pilots – alongside intensified oversight of suppliers.
In the wake of January's incident, a series of other Boeing aircraft faced issues: In early March, a wheel fell off a United Airlines Boeing 777 after takeoff from San Francisco, and this week, New Zealand authorities announced they'd launch an investigation following injuries to several passengers onboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight from Sydney to Auckland during heavy turbulence.
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In response to the FAA's deadline, Boeing is focusing on improving aircraft construction, specifically addressing systemic quality control issues with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and enhanced training for employees. Moreover, Boeing is investing in better communication with all stakeholders, including pilots, and strengthening oversight of its suppliers to prevent future incidents, such as the cabin wall detachment on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 in January.
Due to these ongoing safety concerns, Boeing’s aviation sector is under scrutiny, as recent incidents involving other Boeing aircraft, like a wheel falling off a United Airlines Boeing 777 and injuries on a New Zealand-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner due to turbulence, further highlight the need for improvements in aircraft construction and operation.
