Boeing needs to solve its problems immediately.
If there is any industry that can’t afford to have safety mishaps or malfunctions, it’s aviation.
The airplane manufacturer’s latest disaster, which saw the door of an Alaska Airlines plane fly off mid-flight and force an emergency landing, is the latest malfunction for a company that was forced by the Federal Aviation Administration to ground all of its 737 MAX planes for nearly two years after a series of fatal crashes.
The recent incident was on a 737 MAX 9, a later model of the aircraft, and could have proven just as tragic if it weren’t for the quick response by the flight crew and the fortunate fact that all of the passengers were wearing their seatbelts.
After the mishap, a further investigation by other airlines found that a number of 737 MAX planes had loose bolts on their emergency doors. If this had not been discovered, there could have been more incidents like the Alaska Airlines one — and potentially with far deadlier consequences.
Airline travel is a massive business. The FAA says nearly 3 million people fly in and out of U.S. airports on a daily basis. All of those passengers rely on airlines and the planes they operate to get them safely to their destination without incident.
Boeing has more than 10,000 commercial aircraft in service and has more than 5,700 on order. It is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier airplane manufacturers and is one of the federal government’s largest defense contractors.
Boeing’s failure to maintain basic standards of safety (namely that the plane does not fall apart in flight) puts millions of lives at risk. There have to be consequences because the company’s current modus operandi is poised to have more tragic results.
Consumer safety is a legitimate use of government authority, and Congress should not shy away from hauling Boeing executives to Capitol Hill to answer for this disaster. And if the company does not outline concrete steps to ensure the safety of its products, Congress should be prepared to scrutinize the billions of taxpayer dollars that go to Boeing in the form of government contracts.
But the FAA also needs to answer for why these planes have been allowed to continue to fly.
In March, acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen stood by the safety of Boeing 737 MAX planes under questioning by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH). The agency now has a new permanent head in Michael Whitaker, who should be made to answer questions about the aircraft’s safety and whether he believes the planes are safe to fly.
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Vance has already called for a new hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee on the problem, and more senators, including Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA), should join him, as should the House Transportation Committee, which is reportedly set to hear from Whitaker next month.
The company’s failure to address this quickly is endangering lives. It’s time for Boeing to be held accountable.