Source: AFP
US aerospace giant Boeing, facing increased scrutiny after a series of safety incidents and manufacturing issues, is directing employees to take “immediate actions” to improve operations, according to a message the company sent to its workforce on Tuesday.
The guidance, from Boeing’s head of commercial aviation, Stan Deal, comes after an FAA audit — conducted after a close visit to an Alaska Airlines flight in January — found non-compliance in manufacturer.
“We used your feedback, as well as that from the regulator and our customers, to take immediate action to strengthen our safety and quality,” Deal said.
“These actions are central to a comprehensive plan that we will soon deliver to the FAA,” he added, referring to the US regulator’s order earlier this month that Boeing create a framework to address quality control within 90 days.
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/5c205d770ecf47fa.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/5c205d770ecf47fa.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
China closes key political meeting with pledges to boost struggling economy
According to Deal, “the vast majority of audit non-compliances involved failure to follow our approved processes and procedures.”
To address the issues, management will organize additional training for relevant employees, establish weekly compliance audits, and dedicate a portion of each shift to reviewing audit procedures and tools.
These new measures are in addition to others put in place in recent weeks, including additional inspections.
The FAA inspection came in response to a near-miss in January when a fuselage panel on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet blew off mid-flight.
No one was seriously injured, but the plane was forced to make an emergency landing with a gaping hole in the cabin.
Of the 89 manufacturing process inspections conducted by the FAA, Boeing failed 33 of them, the New York Times reported Tuesday, with 97 noncompliances identified.
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/059b392b0a00b42c.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/059b392b0a00b42c.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
The fake GPS signal wave makes life difficult for pilots
Concerns included one using a hotel key card to check the door seal and using liquid dish soap as a mechanical lubricant, according to the Times.
Series of incidents
Deal’s letter also addressed the findings of an independent panel of experts appointed by the FAA that found deficiencies in Boeing’s safety standards — notably that they can be too complex and confusing for workers.
“Our teams are working to simplify and streamline our processes and address the committee’s recommendations,” Deal said, while urging officials to implement some changes immediately.
“Follow every step of our processes and production processes precisely,” he urged.
“We can and should update processes and procedures, but until then we have to stick with the existing ones.”
Employees should also “always be on the lookout for a potential safety hazard or quality slip,” Deal added, encouraging them to use the company’s internal reporting system to flag concerns when necessary.
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/3b387bb843ca362d.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/3b387bb843ca362d.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
Artificial intelligence tools still enable the creation of political disinformation, the NGO warns
Boeing still faces investigations by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), while US media reported that the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation.
The company has faced questions after several other potentially dangerous incidents besides the Alaska incident, including an engine fire on a Boeing 747 shortly after takeoff from Florida in January.
Last week, a Japan-bound Boeing 777 was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from San Francisco when a wheel fell off and landed in an airport parking lot, damaging several cars.
And New Zealand authorities on Tuesday launched an investigation after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner violently lost altitude during a flight from Sydney to Auckland, injuring scores of terrified passengers.
Source: AFP