Why are Boeing planes crashing? Know the full story
Boeing, a company that was once synonymous with quality and innovation in the aviation industry, has been losing its reputation in recent years. The primary reason for this is a major cultural shift within the company following its merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1996. The company's focus shifted from engineering excellence to profits and cost-cutting, which led to compromises in safety standards.
From the Golden Age to the Decline
Boeing was founded in 1916 and dominated the aviation market for nearly 90 years. The company is credited with many revolutionary inventions, such as the jet engine, the pressurized cabin, and the world's first wide-body aircraft (Boeing 747). The reason for this success was that the company was led by engineers whose sole aim was to build the best and highest quality aircraft.
The situation changed after the acquisition of McDonnell Douglas in 1996. The new management team's main objective was to maximize profits, increase sales, and reduce expenses. This mindset completely altered the company's way of working.
The Consequences of a Profit-First Culture
The new management team made several decisions that weakened Boeing's foundation:
Headquarters Relocation: In 2001, the headquarters was moved from the production hub in Seattle to Chicago, 2,000 kilometers away. This broke the direct link between management and the production teams.
Outsourcing: To reduce costs, more than 70% of the aircraft parts began to be manufactured by 50 different vendors worldwide, leading to a decline in quality control.
Employee Layoffs: Over 53,000 experienced employees were laid off in the name of cost-cutting.
Neglect of Research & Development (R&D): To avoid the time and money required to develop new aircraft, the company started rebranding and selling its old models. Profits were used to buy back the company's own stock to secure hefty bonuses for management, rather than investing in new products.
The Boeing 737 MAX: A Deadly Shortcut
When rival company Airbus launched a fuel-efficient aircraft, Boeing responded in a hurry. Instead of taking 7-8 years to design a new aircraft, they installed a new, larger engine on their old 737 model and created the 737 MAX.
Design Flaw: The larger engine disrupted the aircraft's balance, causing its nose to pitch up during flight.
The MCAS System: To fix this problem, the company installed a software system (MCAS) designed to automatically push the nose down.
Concealed Information: Boeing did not inform pilots about this new system to avoid the need for additional training and certification.
Fatal Consequences: When the MCAS system malfunctioned, it repeatedly pushed the stable aircraft's nose down. Pilots could not understand what was happening, leading to two fatal crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019, killing all passengers on board.
A Long List of Safety Lapses
Besides the 737 MAX, several other serious safety issues have emerged in Boeing's aircraft:
Alaska Airlines (January 2024): A door plug blew out of an aircraft at 16,000 feet.
LATAM Airlines (2024): A design flaw in a cockpit switch caused a plane to suddenly drop 3,000 feet.
Starliner Spacecraft: Astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague were stranded in space due to hydraulic problems in this spacecraft.
Whistleblower Disclosures: Former employees have revealed that poor-quality parts were used to speed up production and that there are serious flaws in the oxygen systems. One former employee, John Barnett, who raised these issues, died under suspicious circumstances.
How is Boeing Still in Business?
Despite so many problems, Boeing is still in business for several reasons:
Legacy: The company built a strong reputation during its first 90 years.
Government Support: Boeing is America's largest exporter and a major defense contractor.
Political Lobbying: The company has given substantial donations to political parties, which helps it avoid strict action. Since 1998, Boeing has spent $328 million on lobbying.
Legal Settlements: Boeing settles legal cases by paying hefty fines. For the 737 MAX crashes, the company closed the case by paying a fine of $2.5 billion.
However, despite these strategies, the company has been operating at a loss for the last six years and is under a debt of $58 billion.
Indian Airlines and Boeing Aircraft
India has a total fleet of 848 aircraft, which includes various Boeing models. Here is a list of Boeing aircraft operated by Indian airlines:
The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has issued safety instructions and specifically inspected Air India's Dreamliner fleet, in which no major flaws were found.
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