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Boeing faces challenges amid efforts to restore trust after recent setbacks

Boeing faces challenges amid efforts to restore trust after recent setbacks
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Throughout the 20th century and into the early 21st century, Boeing established itself as a leader in commercial aircraft production. Known for its military division and commercial aviation, Boeing became a household name. However, recent years have posed significant challenges for the company due to various factors including accidents, a global pandemic, and supply chain issues.

The most notable challenge has been related to the 737 MAX series. This fourth sub-family of Boeing's popular single-aisle 737 series faced severe scrutiny following two major crashes: Lion Air flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in March 2019. Both incidents were linked to conflicts with the plane's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), leading to a worldwide grounding of the model for 20 months.

After being recertified in November 2020, Boeing began addressing backlogged deliveries amid a pandemic-stricken market. The recovery process was slow but saw an increase from just under two thousand flights in 2020 to nearly two million scheduled flights by airlines worldwide in 2025. Despite this progress, certification delays persist for some variants like the MAX 7 and MAX 10.

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Recent incidents have kept safety concerns at the forefront. In January 2024, Alaska Airlines' flight experienced inflight decompression due to missing bolts on a door plug. Meanwhile, quality control issues led to delivery halts of the widebody Dreamliner between January 2021 and August 2022.

Boeing's current CEO Kelly Ortberg acknowledged these difficulties by stating that "the firm was 'at a low.'" Experts have suggested strategies for restoring trust through innovation and cultural changes within the company. Phil Condit proposed focusing on new designs rather than updates while Gail Cornelius emphasized engaging with social impact initiatives.

Cultural issues at Boeing are seen as contributing factors to its safety problems. The Wall Street Journal noted that prioritizing shareholder returns over quality marked an alarming shift from previous values. Morrie Goodman recommended resetting this culture by putting safety first across all levels of operations.

Ortberg has called for acknowledging mistakes when they occur to move away from what he describes as a blaming culture within Boeing. Alan Mulally concluded that respect among employees is essential for future success.

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