Editorial: Boeing nosediving

It is time the US bellwether stopped in its tracks, took stock of the situation and came out with a revival plan

Death of all but two of the 181 passengers aboard the Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju airlines while attempting to bellyland in Muan, South Korea did not just go down as the worst air disaster in the annals of aviation history. It also symbolised the sinking reputation of Boeing, the behemoth of the airline industry. If the Muan air disaster engaged the world’s attention, another incident in the Trop of Norway involving the same Boeing aircraft caused much stir among aviation circles. Mercifully, the pilots of KL1204, on their way to Amsterdam from Oslo, found to their dismay a hydraulic failure shortly after take-off. Halting the climb at 5,000 feet, the pilots diverted the plane to Sandefjord Airport in Torp. They did manage to land, but the plane skidded off the runway onto the grass and stopped. The grit and determination of the pilots ensured there were no injuries to the passengers, but hours later another 737-800 operated by Jeju airlines bellylanded after the landing gear malfunction and 179 deaths have been reported so far. These two air disasters almost spelt doom for Boeing, which has been beset with several problems including investigations into company functioning, safety issues and even a strike by the machinists of the company that ultimately made it lose billions of dollars. In the last few years, Boeing, the American bellwether of the airline industry, has seen turbulent times. Missing bolts caused a panel to blow out of a Boeing 737 Max in January forcing another emergency landing with a gaping hole in its fuselage. Mercifully, there were no casualties among passengers, but the prestige of the aviation giant suffered an irreparable dent. Added to the woes were earlier incidents of 737 max crashes off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019, respectively, which left 346 people dead. The 7-week strike by Boeing technicians crippled the production of best-sellers like the 777 and 767 cargo planes. The company had offered pay raises of 38% over four years to the striking workers.

Air safety is of paramount importance. Malfunction of any of the millions of parts that go into the mammoth jets could lead to massive loss of life and also affect the company’s fortunes. Boeing had already suffered its share of problems from facing charges of corporate fraud to devastating disclosures of compromises on safety issues by whistleblowers. It is time for the company to stop in its tracks, take stock of the situation and come out with a revival plan that not only includes winning over the trust of its employees but also bringing about a culture shift in the company’s functioning and winning over the trust of its customers. It’s like the split-second decisions expected to be taken by the pilot after the aircraft suffered hydraulic failures and then hit by a bird strike. The Boeing CEO’s decision could now either save the company or crashland it. “Mayday…Mayday…Mayday”

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