Here Are The Latest Corrective Actions Boeing Has Taken

18.03.2024 - 17:07 / forbes.com / Airlines

After several recent incidents, Boeing is taking corrective action to review its fleet to bolster strength and security. This process began after a travel mishap on February 5, 2024. Other in-air emergencies have occurred since then that are shaking the confidence of commercial airlines and passengers.

Here is a brief summary of the latest incidents since the original event on January 5, 2024, when a plug door fell from a 737-9 MAX aircraft with Alaska Airlines flight 1282:

These controversies are spread across multiple airlines and impact older aircraft too. Thankfully, there have been no fatalities to date. The aircraft manufacturer and individual airlines have rolled out various safety measures, including safety stand-downs and in-depth inspections.

For instance, only some incidents stem from a manufacturing process failure, as each airline is responsible for its fleet inspections and maintenance.

As of this writing, the latest update for the 737-9 corrective actions since the January 5, 2024, plug door incident dates to March 12, 2024.

Some of the highlights include:

These corrective actions are hurting the bottom line of domestic airlines. For instance, Southwest Airlines is reducing its capacity forecasts for 2024 and throttling its 737 MAX deliveries in the near term.

In response to the March 11, 2024, cockpit incident resulting in a sudden drop, the manufacturer sent a safety bulletin to airlines operating the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This notice suggests that airlines inspect a seat switch at the next maintenance opportunity to prevent a future malfunction.

The investigation for LATAM Flight LA800 is ongoing, and the bulletin doesn’t mention this specific incident since an official cause has yet to be determined.

Airlines are not grounding their 787 Dreamliner fleet to inspect and correct the potential problem. The switch can become stuck, and the seat can continue sliding forward when a pilot is seated. Consequently, the unstoppable forward motion can cause the controls to be pushed in and move the plane downward.

No additional corrective actions are available at this time besides the U.S. Justice Department launching an investigation with the manufacturer to review legal implications.

It’s still too soon to tell which in-flight incidents are airlines' liability and precisely which ones are due to a manufacturing defect. Regardless, Boeing will need to work hard to recover from a tarnished reputation after multiple incidents during the opening months of 2024.

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