Boeing, an aerospace manufacturing company, faces intense scrutiny over safety concerns and systemic issues revealed through plane malfunctions, FAA investigations, and company whistleblowers. Will the company crumble under the pressure, or is there light at the end of Boeing’s tunnel?
The Boeing Aerospace Company
In its long history, Boeing has been a leading aerospace company known for manufacturing commercial airplanes and security systems. Still, thanks to recent controversy, its reputation is coming under fire. After a series of incidents and FAA investigations, systemic issues within the Boeing company have slowly emerged and brought the safety of their products into question,
The most notable incidents are an emergency with a 787 that lost a door mid-flight and the discovery of numerous audit failures in the 737 Max’s production. These incidents, among others, have led some to believe that the company has a pervasive culture of cutting corners and prioritizing profits over the safety of its manufacturing.
John Barnett
One major piece of the Boeing story comes from John Barnett, a quality control manager at a Boeing plant in South Carolina that developed the 787 Dreamliner. While working at the Boeing plant, John claimed to have seen a series of safety concerns that he felt should not go unnoticed and went public with these worries in 2019.
Barnett said, “As a quality manager you’re the last line of defence before a defect makes it out to the flying public. And I haven’t seen a plane out of Charleston yet that I’d put my name on saying it’s safe and airworthy.”
Unfortunately, John Barnett recently committed suicide in a hotel parking lot after handing over evidence against Boeing that will be used in a court case later this year. After his death, Barnett’s family said that he was constantly struggling with “PTSD and anxiety attacks” that stemmed from the “hostile work environment at Boeing.”
Thanks to whistleblowers like John Barnett and the FAA’s finding of numerous failures in production audits and safety measures, Boeing is seeing a flood of online scrutiny and backlash.
Questioning Commitment
Despite air travel being the safest form of travel, these new developments have unsurprisingly raised questions about Boeing’s commitment to the high standards expected from aviation manufacturers.
Part of these concerns are due to the company’s shift from an engineering-focused culture to a profit-oriented approach under the new CEO, Dave Calhoun.
Calhoun became the CEO in 2020 after John Barnett went public with his safety concerns, and at the time, he promised Boeing would “do better. Much better.” However, four years later, there has actually been an uptick in safety problems and violations, which has many people questioning Calhoun’s commitment to this promise.
In response to these many new scandals, Calhoun has said, “We will go slow, we will not rush the system and we will take our time to do it right.”
The Management Problem
Boeing’s overall management practices have also been questioned due to its treatment of whistleblowers and its tendency to blame lower-level employees while senior executives avoid responsibility.
Now that the company is facing more scrutiny, the 737 and 787 Dreamliner programs are both struggling with safety and production issues due to their tendency to favor efficient production over safety assurances.
The financial costs of these problems are a major problem for Boeing, as the company hemorrhages billions due to the unexpected costs of lawsuits and program setbacks.
Boeing and regulatory bodies have taken steps to address these issues, like audits and public statements claiming a commitment to safety and quality improvements, but only time will tell if this is enough to change the company for the better and restore public trust.
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The post What’s Going on at Boeing? The Unfolding Story of Safety Scares at Jet Giant first appeared on Edge Media.
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Keegan Leighty is a committed writer known for his impactful work in bringing attention to societal issues and injustices, using his platform to advocate for change and awareness. He also writes satire and stand up.