Boeing executives address safety turnaround efforts ahead of Farnborough Airshow

Boeing is working on restoring production rates for its 737 and 787 models, which were slowed due to an FAA-mandated safety and quality plan. According to Pope, improvements are being made on the 737 lines with a target of reaching 38 units per month. Efforts continue to increase 787 output beyond five aircraft per month.

In other developments, Boeing has commenced certification flight testing for its new 777X twinjet following the FAA's issuance of type inspection authorization last week. Pope mentioned that regulatory changes learned during this process will influence the introduction of the new widebody aircraft.

While preparations for the Farnborough show are underway, BCA’s airline customers are visiting Boeing's Seattle hub to review details of the safety and quality plan. “This industry is safe because we make mistakes and learn from them,” said Pope. “Some of our customers have shared their own stories with us, but that doesn’t take away the reality that we’ve disappointed them.”

On the military front, Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, acknowledged ongoing challenges with fixed-price development programs like the KC-46 Pegasus tanker and T-7A trainer jet. “This quarter you will see that we continue to be significantly challenged on these,” Colbert reported. “It will be like what we saw in the third quarter of last year and, once again, we’ll get through it by investing in our workforce.”