An expert panel that investigated Boeing’s safety management processes found a “disconnect” between the company’s senior management and employees regarding safety culture and raised other concerns.
The committee’s report, released Monday, was directed by Congress in the wake of two Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
The report criticized various aspects of Boeing’s safety culture, noting that there was a “lack of awareness of safety-related metrics at all levels of the organization.”
It also noted that “the implementation of the components of a positive safety culture was inadequate and confusing.”
The expert panel was appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration in early 2023.
The panel cited “gaps in Boeing’s safety efforts” and cited serious quality issues that have become public since 2023.
Last month, a door panel on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet blew off mid-flight, prompting the FAA to temporarily ground the U.S. MAX 9 fleet and raising serious questions about Boeing’s quality control. The agency prohibited Boeing from increasing its current MAX production rate.
Recent issues have “amplified the panel’s concerns that safety-related messages and actions are not pervasive throughout Boeing,” the report said.
The report said Boeing must review the recommendations and develop an “action plan” within six months.
Boeing said Monday it would evaluate the committee’s efforts. “We have taken significant steps to foster a culture of safety that empowers all employees to share their opinions. But there is still much work to do,” the company said. “We will carefully consider the panel’s evaluation, learn from its findings, and continue our comprehensive efforts to improve our safety and quality programs.”
The company’s safety culture has long faced criticism from lawmakers and others.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell said last month that “American aviation in general and Boeing’s line employees deserve a culture of Boeing leadership that puts safety before profits.” .
The FAA, which is conducting a safety audit of Boeing following the Jan. 5 MAX 9 accident, said it would “immediately begin a thorough review of the report and determine next steps regarding the recommendations, as appropriate.” Stated. We continue to hold Boeing to the highest standards of safety and are committed to ensuring the company comprehensively addresses these recommendations. ”
The FAA has also previously faced criticism for not doing more to protect employees from pressure from Boeing.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is scheduled to meet with FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker on Tuesday to discuss his recent visit to Boeing’s 737 factory in Washington, officials told Reuters. Ta.
Boeing shares rose 0.3% to $201.52 Monday afternoon.
