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2024 has already been a frustrating year for Boeing, the American aerospace giant. But when one of the company's planes… Crashed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board, and ending a particularly unfortunate year for Boeing.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, and aviation experts were quick to distinguish between Sunday's accident and the company's previous safety problems.
Alan Price, a former chief pilot for Delta Air Lines who now works as a consultant, said it would be inappropriate to link Sunday's incident to two fatal crashes involving the troubled Boeing 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019. In January this year, a door seal blew off a 737 MAX in flight, raising more questions about the plane.
Price noted that the Boeing 737-800 that crashed in Korea is a “proven aircraft. It is different from the Max…it is a very safe aircraft.”
For decades, Boeing has maintained its role as one of the giants of American manufacturing. But last year's recurring problems were devastating. The company's stock price fell more than 30% in 2024.
The company's reputation for safety has been particularly tarnished by two 737 MAX accidents, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019 and killed 346 people. In the five years that followed, Boeing lost more than $23 billion. It has lagged behind its European rival, Airbus, in selling and delivering new aircraft.
Last fall, 33,000 Boeing mechanics went on strike, paralyzing production of the company's best-selling 737 MAX, the 777 and the 767 freighter. The strike lasted seven weeks, until members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed to an offer that included increased wages. Wages increased by 38% over four years.
In January, a door socket on a 737 MAX exploded during an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal regulators responded by imposing limits on Boeing's aircraft production that they said would remain in place until they felt confident about the safety of manufacturing at the company.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving FAA regulators who approved the 737 MAX. Based on Boeing's incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal computer-based training rather than extensive training in flight simulators. The simulator training could have increased the cost to airlines of operating the Max, perhaps prompting some to buy planes from Airbus instead. (Prosecutors said they lacked evidence that Boeing deception played a role in both crashes.)
But a plea deal was rejected this month by A.J Texas Federal Judge Reed O'Connorwhich decided that diversity, inclusion, and equity or DEI policies In government and at Boeing, it could lead to race being a factor in selecting an official to oversee Boeing's compliance with the agreement.
Boeing sought to change its culture. Under intense pressure over safety issues, David Calhoun left his position as CEO in August. Since January, 70,000 Boeing employees have participated in meetings to discuss ways to improve safety.
