Boeing’s 737 Max jets have been hit hard by a string of negative reports that have sent the company’s stock plunging and hurt its reputation.
The latest: On Jan. 11, the FAA launched an inquiry into the safety of the jets after one of them lost a panel during a recent flight.
According to the FAA, the incident – which has caused a ripple effect across the airline industry – “should have never occurred and cannot occur again,” and that the company’s manufacturing processes must meet the “high safety standards to which they are legally obligated to adhere.”
Why does it matter?
Boeing is one of the biggest aerospace companies in the world, and its aircraft are used by many of the world’s leading airlines.
The world’s largest commercial aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, faces only one major competitor: European aerospace company, Airbus.
Boeing 737 Max 9: What’s happening?
A “plugged” exit door blew out minutes after take off on Jan. 5, resulting in a hole in the plane’s side at an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet, according to a statement from Alaska Airlines. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, was descending when it experienced a sudden drop in pressure.
According to Flightradar24, the plane entered service in November 2023 but was already banned from long flights over water due to a “pressure alert” on three previous flights, said Jennifer Homenda, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Press conference on January 7th.
On January 6, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of all FAA-owned and operated Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in the United States..
The FAA said in a Jan. 8 update that the planes would remain grounded pending “progressive inspections.” getting readyIn its Jan. 9 update, the FAA said Boeing updated its inspection instructions after receiving feedback on the original instructions. The FAA will review the revised guidance after Boeing sends it.andquot;Pilot safety, not speed, will determine timeline for Boeing 737-9 Max return to service,andquot; The FAA added.
Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation, said at a meeting on Wednesday that the only time frame for the 737 Max jets to return to service is based on safety.
It’s not ready until it’s ready, and no one should rush the process, Skift said.
Boeing’s CEO, David Calhoun, said in a speech to the company’s employees on Tuesday that the company is determined to “first and foremost” admit its mistakes, according to The Wall Street Journal.
What have the inspections found?
On January 8, United Airlines announced that it had found loose latches in the door caps of several Boeing Max 9 planes during an inspection.
On Monday, Alaska Airlines announced that it also has “loose hardware”.
What is an exit door plug?
The door plug from Alaska Airlines flight 1282 was found in the backyard of a school teacher in Portland, OR. A door plug seals an unused exit door on an aircraft. The plugs are bolted, connected with cables and held in place with stop pads.
The number of exits on a plane is based on the capacity of the aircraft. For example, if an airline is operating an international flight at full capacity, they would use a single-aisle, single-seater aircraft (Boeing 737 Max 9) with all available emergency exits.
On the other hand, if an airline operates a smaller flight with fewer seats, it is possible that some emergency exits may be blocked, according to a Los Angeles Times article.
Past safety concerns with 737 MAXs
After two 737 MAX 8 accidents in Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia in March 2019, which killed a total of 346 people, the jets were temporarily grounded around the world and sparked a firestorm of questions about quality assurance and safety at the company.
Boeing’s 737 MAX was eventually allowed to resume service in the United States in November 2020 by the FAA.
However, last year, the FAA cleared the 737 MAX 7’s anti-ice system from the FAA’s list of safety requirements, allowing the planes to go into service.
Boeing also urged airlines to inspect their 737 Max jets in December 2023 for loose hardware in their rudder control systems.
