Strikes, safety snags: Is the Boeing saga set for a crash?

The storm that has been brewing against Boeing simply refuses to die down, as the company is now faced with not one but two crisis situations - over its workforce and its safety standards. The aerospace major has been subjected to intense scrutiny since the beginning of 2024 owing to a spate of alarming incidents related to its aircraft as well as labour unrest at many of its plants.

The most publicised incident took place during the first week of January at mid-flight with an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9. It had departed from Portland, Oregon and after it rose to a height of 16,000 feet violently threw one of its rear doors from the fuselage. The great heavy plug crash-landed into the backyard of a high school science teacher sending him in shock but without causing any harm.

The plane was nothing short of terrifying for 171 passengers and six crew members aboard. Though the flight landed safely, the FAA acted quickly to ground all 737 Max 9 aircraft similarly configured, as a ripple of cancellations and delays that will hammer airlines for weeks to come. Critics say tragedy could have been prevented because since the two fatal 737 Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019, Boeing has been under intense scrutiny.

For over a decade, there have been issues pertaining to quality control. The latest issue of poor software and the training of pilots regarding it surrounded the Boeing 737 Max 8 news for the last couple of years. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was also not free from malfunctions that sprang in the production process delaying deliveries and operational performance of those airlines which had large fleets of this aircraft.

The door plug incident has once again raised grave concern over Boeing's ability to produce safe aircraft. Though the recent mishap brought attention to the immediate problem in particular, it also drew Boeing's procedures for quality control under the microscope. Thus, the FAA has given Boeing 90 days to address its safety-related issues, though most industry insiders disagree that this is merely a question of quick fixes.

Ripple Effects: Airlines and the Public Trust

The grounding of Boeing's 737 Max 9 fleet had consequences that severely affect airlines, some of which acquired dozens of those jets within recent months. With aircraft sitting idle at peak travel times, nightmares born of logistics include the scurry by carriers to reshuffle flights, shift operations, and now deal with displeased passengers.

While many still remain in the minority, many travellers are even now not convincing themselves that the jets are finally ready to be served. The spectre of Boeing's past safety failures seems to hang over any decision that customers make to fly on these machines. Such fear may claw back profits from both Boeing and airlines, as the aviation business slowly comes out of decline triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boeing's Labour Problems

Boeing is also struggling with significant labour unrest. A strike by 33,000 union workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers entered its eighth day. The company, unable to reach a deal with the union, rolled out furloughs of non-union workers to preserve cash during the strike.

The walkout, appearing to pile yet another challenge to the precarious position of the company, comes at a very vulnerable moment for Boeing - already struggling with an order deficiency and ongoing supply chain problems as well as growing competition from a European aerospace competitor known as Airbus. Court offers provide little evidence of an early settlement as mediators on the federal level get in the act.