Mike Whitaker, the Administrator of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has emphasized that Boeing must undergo a “fundamental cultural shift” to prioritize safety and quality over profits.
This statement came in a blog post marking the one-year anniversary of an incident in which a door plug detached from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
Over the past year, Boeing has attracted significant attention due to concerns over safety and quality, particularly regarding issues that led to the blowout of a Boeing 737 MAX 9’s mid-cabin door in January 2024. Additionally, executives at Boeing were accused of pressuring staff to remain silent about quality concerns.
As a result of these ongoing issues, U.S. government agencies such as the FAA, NTSB, and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) have taken steps to enhance oversight of Boeing’s manufacturing processes, particularly concerning the Boeing 737 and 787 Dreamliner. In his blog post, Whitaker noted:
“We increased the number of inspectors on the factory floors. We limited the production levels of the 737 MAX. We conducted a thorough audit of the production line. And most importantly, we required Boeing to create a comprehensive plan to address its systemic production quality problems.”
He also mentioned that the FAA conducted an extraordinary number of unannounced audits and held monthly status reviews with Boeing executives to monitor the company’s progress. Whitaker concluded:
“Our enhanced oversight is here to stay. But this is not a one-year project. What is necessary is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing focused on safety and quality over profits.”
Additionally, the FAA’s oversight is being questioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). According to the DOT Office of Inspector General, the FAA’s weaknesses in its oversight processes hinder its ability to address issues related to the production of Boeing’s 737 and 787 aircraft.
At the request of U.S. Congress, the DOT Inspector General conducted a review that focused specifically on Boeing’s manufacturing processes. Lawmakers were looking for answers to years of ongoing safety and quality concerns tied to the company’s production.
The review concluded that the FAA has not properly assessed Boeing’s complex production system. The Inspector General’s findings revealed that “the FAA’s approach to overseeing Boeing manufacturing and production does not use data-driven assessments to target audits.”
Following the door plug incident, Alaska Airlines has taken proactive measures to address the quality concerns of their newly delivered aircraft.
Over the past year, the airline’s audit team has made frequent visits to Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, which manufactures the fuselage, and to Boeing’s Renton factory. In cooperation with the FAA, Alaska Airlines’ team has worked to assess and improve Boeing’s production quality and control systems.
Alaska Airlines currently employs three Aircraft Acquisition Representatives (AARs) who are present on-site at Boeing’s factory five days a week, covering various shifts and being on-call for inspections as per the airline’s standards.
Additionally, three engineers from Alaska Airlines are stationed at the Boeing delivery center to conduct customer inspections and oversee customer flight duties, ensuring that all aircraft undergo thorough inspections before delivery.