On January 11, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that a formal investigation into Boeing would be launched with immediate effect in response to the 737 MAX 9 door plug falling off. This decision has undoubtedly rekindled the world's attention to the quality defects and management problems of Boeing aircraft.
In recent years, the quality of Boeing aircraft products has been repeatedly questioned and criticized, and a series of production defects, quality control, supply chain management and other issues have exposed serious problems within the company. In 2019 alone, Boeing suspended deliveries of more than 4,600 737 MAX family airliners and grounded 371 737 MAX 8s due to manufacturing quality issues
In addition, the 737 MAX 9 door plug that fell off on Alaska Airlines flight AS1282 on January 5, 2024, has damaged Boeing's reputation. The FAA made it clear that "this should not have happened and cannot happen again." ”
Boeing, as a giant in the global aerospace manufacturing industry, why do its product quality problems occur frequently? What is the problem?
First, Boeing's pursuit of market share and profits has neglected quality control in the aircraft manufacturing process. In the fierce market competition, in order to catch up with and surpass its competitor Airbus, Boeing may pay too much attention to production and delivery time, and there is a rush to lead to inadequate quality supervision.
Secondly, supplier management issues are also an important cause of Boeing's quality problems. For example, the 737MAX 9 door plug detachment was caused by the structural assembly work carried out by the supplier Spirit AeroSystems on the aircraft's tail pressure bulkhead. This company is actually a subsidiary of Boeing that was spun off from the head office in order to save money.
In recent years, as a contract manufacturer of the whole fuselage of the 737 series and the nose and nose fuselage of almost all models of Boeing passenger aircraft, the company has suffered frequent financial crises and uneven quality, and often caused problems and troubles for Boeing.
The company has been exposed by the media: because the workers carelessly opened the wrong hole wall, the entire fuselage had to be rebuilt, and because the fuselage manufacturing strength was not enough, secretly added support parts and fasteners. The door plug falling off accident is most likely caused by the lack of attention to fixed installation.
Again, Boeing may also have flaws in its design and R&D process. In the case of the 737 MAX series, for example, there were certain design problems with this model, which led to multiple flight crashes during flight. Although it has been improved many times, it still cannot completely eliminate the safety hazard.
In addition, Boeing may be too conservative in its approach to quality issues. When the problem was discovered, the company did not take timely measures, but perfunctory, procrastinating, and selectively covered up the truth. This is not only a loss to Boeing itself, but also a reputational impact on the entire aviation manufacturing industry.
As the highest authority for the management of the U.S. aviation industry, the FAA launched a formal investigation into Boeing, which also expressed its hatred of iron and steel. In doing so, Boeing will be able to regain its image and return to its position as a market leader. Because Boeing is the representative and glory of the high-end manufacturing industry in the United States, if such a company falls, it will be an unbearable pain for the United States.
In the face of the FAA's formal investigation, Boeing should actively cooperate, carefully analyze the problem, find the root cause, and take effective and practical measures to comprehensively improve products and strengthen quality and supply chain management. Boeing must face up to the widely criticized problem workers on the assembly line and the so-so quality inspectors.
Finally, when introducing Boeing aircraft, continental airlines should fully understand the quality of their products and strengthen the supervision of the whole process of imported aircraft. When choosing Boeing aircraft as the procurement object, it is necessary to ensure that its quality is truly reliable to ensure the safety and development of the mainland's civil aviation industry.