Five years ago, two Boeing 737 Max jets crashed, killing 346 people. Since then, the US aircraft manufacturer has not been able to get out of the crisis. Now a part of the fuselage broke off during a flight. This is putting Boeing in new trouble.
Incorrectly placed drill holes, loose screws on the rudder, and now part of the passenger cabin is breaking out of an almost new medium-haul jet in flight: The US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is still unable to escape the crisis years after the fatal crashes of two jets from the 737 Max series . New defects continue to tarnish the reputation of the former industry leader. Its European competitor Airbus is outpacing it. The incident is a setback for Boeing boss Dave Calhoun, who wants to get the company back on track after years of bitter losses.
On the flight of a Boeing 737-9 Max from Portland to Ontario on Friday, a part suddenly flew out of the fuselage, closing a door opening that was not needed in this variant. The pilots of Alaska Airlines were able to land the plane safely – and the 171 passengers largely escaped shock. But the US aviation authority FAA ordered a temporary flight ban for around 170 aircraft worldwide and immediate inspections. After all: According to the local authority EASA, no machines are affected in the European Union.
One breakdown follows another
At Boeing, the accident follows a series of development and production errors. Again and again it’s the “Max” – the latest edition of the 737 medium-haul jet, whose basic design dates back to the 1960s. Medium-haul jets are the most popular aircraft types – and the “Max” is the most important source of revenue for Boeing.
With further development, the US group responded to the success of the Airbus A320neo medium-haul jet family. But then around five years ago two “Max” planes crashed, killing 346 people. Authorities around the world therefore imposed flight bans on the type: from March 2019, the “Max” was no longer allowed to take off for more than a year and a half and was only gradually permitted again after technical improvements. The disaster cost the manufacturer billions.
After four years of losses in a row, red numbers have recently emerged for 2023. In addition to expensive problems with other projects, the company recently had to interrupt deliveries of the 737 Max twice – first because of quality defects in the rear fuselage section, then because of faulty drill holes in the pressure bulkhead that closes off the rear of the aircraft cabin. The supplier Spirit Aerosystems was responsible in each case. The company used to belong to Boeing and produces around 70 percent of the 737 fuselages.
Cause of recent incident unclear
It is still unclear why the fuselage part burst from the Alaska Airlines jet – as well as whether Boeing or Spirit caused the problem. Since the “Max” accidents, however, every jet has to be cleared by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before delivery. The major bank UBS estimates that ongoing quality deficiencies and problems in the supply chains are likely to cause concerns among shareholders.
Boeing shares lost around nine percent to $227 on the stock market on Monday. Shortly before the crashes and the grounding of the 737 Max in March 2019, investors had paid almost twice as much. Airbus shares, however, approached their record high on Monday.
Boeing has repeatedly been accused of sacrificing quality and safety in order to achieve higher returns. Boeing boss Calhoun, who took office at the beginning of 2020, is trying to get the manufacturer back on the road to success. The road is likely to be bumpy, he recently explained. In recent years, Boeing has had to repeatedly interrupt deliveries of the 787 “Dreamliner” long-haul jet. The manufacturer has even postponed the first delivery of the modernized 777X wide-body jet for several years. And the short and long versions of the 737 Max are still not approved.
Boeing has long since fallen behind Airbus in the mass business with medium-haul jets. At the end of November, the US group had a good 4,500 copies of the 737 Max in its order book, while its competitor from Europe had around 6,700 units with its A320neo model family. Airbus boss Guillaume Faury therefore wants to expand production of the A320neo family to 75 machines per month by 2026. That’s one and a half times as many as Boeing is targeting for its competing model.
Airlines still order from Boeing
The full order books also prevent Airbus from getting even further ahead of its US competitor. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary was repeatedly annoyed with Boeing – but ordered 150 more 737 Max last year. He said he couldn’t get any jets from Airbus before 2030. Lufthansa even decided to add Boeing aircraft to its pure Airbus medium-haul fleet again – and ordered 40 of the 737 Max before Christmas.
The Alaska Airlines incident could make it even more difficult for Calhoun to turn Boeing around. The group had recently promoted Stephanie Pope, a manager, to a new position where she is considered the most promising candidate to succeed her at the top of the group. Calhoun himself had already described 2024 as a transition year in the fall.
Industry expert Richard Aboulafia from the aviation consultancy Aerodynamic fears that the manufacturer will not be able to ramp up production of the 737 Max as quickly as planned. Then airlines would have to wait even longer for new machines. That would also have consequences for the flight offerings. Ryanair boss O’Leary had already made his business plans dependent on Boeing delivering new aircraft as promised.
Source: Stern
