A recent report commissioned by the US government has highlighted significant concerns regarding Boeing's safety management systems. The review identified a disconnect between senior management and frontline staff, along with shortcomings in effectively implementing safety-related messages and behaviors throughout the company.
Boeing acknowledged the findings and expressed its commitment to fostering a safety culture and empowering employees to voice concerns. The company emphasized its ongoing efforts to enhance its safety and quality programs. However, the report raised doubts about Boeing's progress in improving its safety culture, despite steps taken since the fatal accidents in 2018 and 2019.
The panel of experts convened after the earlier crashes observed ongoing gaps in Boeing's safety journey. They noted staff hesitation in reporting problems due to retaliation concerns and deficiencies in the problem-reporting system used by Boeing. The company also lacked a comprehensive system for tracking and resolving safety issues.
Consequently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating Boeing's manufacturing processes in the wake of the incident involving a passenger jet in January. The FAA has suspended Boeing's expansion plans for the 737 Max aircraft during the review. The ongoing issues at Boeing are expected to impact the delivery of new planes to airlines, potentially leading to price increases.