Boeing's Safety & Manufacturing Integrity to Be Investigated

After two deadly incidents on Boeing aeroplanes and a near-tragic accident this week, an investigation has been opened to find out if there is a manufacturing defect on all 171 Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft.

Navigating challenges in Boeing's manufacturing legacy

Boeing manufactures and sells aeroplanes for commercial, defence, space and security aviation systems. The company was founded in 1916, with the Boeing Everett Factory warehouse in Washington first built in 1966. It has been expanded seven times since then, in order to meet demand. It is now the biggest in the world and has a volume of over 13,000,000 metres cubed, where many of its famous models are manufactured, such as the classic Boeing 707, one of the first commercially successful jet airliners. Boeing’s 737 is the best-selling commercial jetliner in history and the 747, which was also known as the ‘Jumbo Jet’. Boeing has 145,000 employees in 65 countries and annual revenues of US$75.76bn.

However, these strengths have been overshadowed by recent challenges, with two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. This week, an Alaska Airlines flight with 171 passengers and six crew was forced to return to the Portland airport it departed from, after a section of the fuselage broke free shortly after takeoff. 

"Passengers in the seats immediately adjacent, or in other seats around it who weren't wearing a seatbelt could have been sucked out of the aircraft," said Tim Atkinson, an aviation consultant and former aircraft accident investigator. “It could be design, it could be a manufacturing defect, or a combination of the two. Or it could be something else, something unknown."

Boeing’s priority is the safety of its passengers and crew - with sustainable aviation coming in second.

Boeing's sustainable flight path

Boeing is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and making aviation more sustainable. On 1st January 2024, Boeing veteran Brian Moran took on the role of Chief Sustainability Officer, after joining as an Intern in 2000 and climbing the career ladder. 

Boeing has several short-term targets:

• To achieve 55% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions 
• To reach 100% renewable energy by 2030.

In its June 2023 sustainability report, Boeing outlined its most recent milestones such as securing 35% renewable electricity use across the company by 2022 and procuring 2m gallons of sustainable aviation fuel for Boeing’s commercial aeroplanes. This is one area Moran is keen to work on, particularly in the Middle East. 

“The Middle East has huge opportunities around sustainable aviation fuels for a number of reasons,” Moran said. “It starts with the feedstock, renewable electricity and the investments being made here in solar and nuclear energy storage make for great ingredients and the baseline for a sustainable aviation fuel pathway.”

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Other magazines that may be of interest - EV magazine.

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