Boeing's annual safety report has recorded a surge in employee safety and product quality concerns amid regulatory crackdowns on the company's aircraft issues.
In a press release on Friday, Boeing noted a 500% increase or six-fold more employee reports on product safety and quality during the first two months of 2024.
(Photo : Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
The company angled the increase in reports as part of its redoubled efforts following the 737-9 accident last January where one of the plane's door plugs detached mid-flight.
The uptick comes in as the Federal Aviation Agency mandated a comprehensive plan to improve the company's quality-control issues.
It can be remembered that the FAA found several production flaws on the 737 aircraft, failing 33 planes out of the 86 product audits made.
This is not to mention another safety probe on the Boeing 787 and 777 Dreamliner planes after an engineer-turned-whistleblower told officials that the aircraft could "break apart" midflight.
Also Read: Boeing May Face Criminal Charges for Breaking 2021 Safety Agreement, DOJ Says
Boeing Shares Drop as Criminal Probe Continues
Amid the federal crackdown, Boeing's shares have started to feel the brunt of the scrutiny and delayed promises.
Last Thursday, Boeing's shares recorded a 6.2% drop as investigations and incidents continued. As of writing, Boeing's stocks reported a 77.24% drop since the year started.
The Department of Justice is currently pursuing criminal charges against the aerospace manufacturer for breaking its promises to improve plane safety to waive previous charges.
In 2021, the DOJ charged Boeing with defrauding officials after it failed to report safety issues in the 737 planes that resulted in two air crashes in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 passengers.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced earlier to step down as chief executive by the end of this year in response to the growing concerns about the company's safety culture.
Related Article: Boeing CEO to Step Down Amid 737 Max Fiasco
Reported Incidents Continue to Rise
As the world's attention on the embattled company rises, so do the reported incidents of flight accidents that involve Boeing's planes.
A United Airlines Flight 625 bound for Boston was forced to an emergency landing at Denver International Airport last Thursday after the crew reported mechanical issues midflight. The flight was operating under a Boeing 737.
Earlier this month, three more Boeing planes also made emergency landings due to technical problems shortly after takeoff or before landing.
