Boeing sales continue to fall amid the Alaska Airlines disaster and other safety scandals. The beleaguered airline received just four new orders in May, and none for the 737 Max. That plane has been at the centre of several disasters, including a January Alaska Airlines flight when a door plug flew off in the plane minutes after takeoff, Daily Mail reports.
The same model was involved in two disasters four months apart that killed more than 300 people. The Lion Air crash in 2018 and the Ethiopian Airlines crash were both caused by the same sensor malfunction. Whistleblower allegations of safety failures, coupled with reports of falsified inspections, have only made Boeing’s situation worse.
By comparison, rival manufacturer Airbus recorded 27 orders in May. Boeing also had to contend with Aerolineas Argentinas cancelling its order, bringing its total sales last month to just three aircraft. This follows poor sales in April, when Boeing reported seven sales and no sales for its 737 Max.
Restriction and decommissioning
Most of the Max fleet was taken out of service by the Federal Aviation Administration after the Alaska Airlines crash. The restrictions were imposed after a door plug flew off in an Alaska Airlines 737 Max aircraft in January shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. Pilots managed to land the plane safely, but the incident plunged Boeing into its deepest crisis since the fatal crashes of two Max planes in 2018 and 2019.
Despite the sales slump, the aerospace giant has a stockpile of 5,600 aircraft and delivered 24 planes in May, including 19 Max planes. This included three aircraft for Alaska Airlines and four for Ireland’s Ryanair. Airbus reported 53 aircraft delivered in May. Boeing hopes the slow pace of orders reflects a lull in sales ahead of next month’s Farnborough International Airshow, where aircraft deals are often announced.
Hearings on the ongoing security crisis
However, it is unclear whether that will be enough to salvage the aerospace giant’s reputation. In April, whistleblowers Sam Salehpour and Ed Pierson testified at a congressional hearing about the company and the ongoing security crisis. Salehpour works as a quality engineer for the company and alleges that sections of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft were not properly secured.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Salehpour faced threats from his supervisor after he attempted to discuss problems with the aircraft. In addition to the threats against Salehpour, Senator Richard Blumenthal showed a photograph of a large nail that had punctured a car tyre belonging to Salehpour.
He also said that the safety situation at Boeing was like the company playing “Russian roulette” with people’s lives, adding:
We never know exactly when it’s going to happen, when or where or how it’s going to happen.
In an written statement, Pierson said he believed the investigation into the case of the 737 Max plane, which had a door fly out mid-flight, was covered up. In March, whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck in South Carolina while filing a lawsuit against his former employer. Other recent cases raising safety concerns include a Boeing Air Canada plane that burst into flames seconds after takeoff.
CEO David Calhoun, who will leave his post at the end of the year, has repeatedly said Boeing is taking steps to improve its operations and safety culture. He called the Alaska plane explosion a “watershed moment” after which a better Boeing will emerge.
