Corporate media recently has reported there have been signs of a recovery for Boeing‘s woeful safety reputation, but that may change today.
The tragic crash of a 787 Dreamliner flown by Air India likely killed all, or almost all, of the 240 passengers it carried. “A video on social media showed the jet slowly descending as if it were landing. As soon as it disappeared out of view behind rows of houses, a giant fireball filled the sky,” Associated Press reported. There may be more casualties on the ground as the area where the plane crashed appeared to be urban, with images from AP showing extensive damage to buildings as well.
It’s far too early to tell where the blame or responsibility for the accident lies, but to the degree it’s one of Boeing’s products, the timing is terrible, as new corporate leadership had hoped it was beginning to put it’s safety problems in the past.
After facing potential prosecution for two crashes of its 737 Max models in late 2018 and early 2019, the company reached a settlement earlier this month with the U.S. Department of Justice by agreeing to pay $1.1 billion in fines and remuneration to victims’ families. A day later Reuters reported that Boeing is “rebuilding trust as airline bosses see improved jet quality,” following comments made at a summit of airline leaders in — ironically and sadly — New Delhi:
Airline bosses are tentatively voicing greater confidence in Boeing’s ability to deliver jets at the right quality in a step towards ending years of reputational damage for the embattled planemaker.
An annual summit of airline leaders in New Delhi this week struck a more optimistic tone about Boeing’s recovery from overlapping safety, regulatory and industrial crises, though executives stressed Boeing still had much work left to do.
“What we’ve seen quarter to quarter is an improvement in safety, an improvement in quality,” Seattle-based Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci told Reuters at the International Air Transport Association’s annual meeting.
“Are they yet there? No, there’s still a lot of work.”
Much of today’s reporting on the Air India crash notes that this is the first-ever fatal accident involving the Dreamliner. That doesn’t mean the model hasn’t had problems.
NLPC documented many of the hiccups related to Boeing’s introduction of the 787 back in the early-to-mid 2010s, most of which entailed problems with fires related to the use in the plane’s systems of lithium ion batteries, known as “thermal runaway.” Other problems such as fires caused by bad wiring and fuel leaks also plagued the Dreamliner. Safety and regulatory concerns for the plane held up deliveries as recently as early 2023.
The hopeful tone struck recently after China re-opened its airlines to again receive Boeing aircraft, and President Trump’s announced purchase by Qatar Airways of up to 210 Boeing wide-bodies that include Dreamliners, has been muted by today’s tragedy.
Larry Kellner/IMAGE: YouTube
The ongoing troubles continue to reflect the legacy of former Boeing chairman Larry Kellner, who was appointed to its board in 2011 and served in the top role among its directors until its most recent catastrophes forced him out last year. Kellner and the company are now the targets of a shareholder lawsuit led by Ohio attorney general Dave Yost, who is representing state pension funds. Yost summarized the lawsuit against Boeing directors, including Kellner, by alleging they issued “false or misleading” statements “with knowing intent to deceive, manipulate, or defraud.”
Despite these failings and embarrassments, ExxonMobil placed Kellner on its own board in 2023 and made him he chair of the oil giant’s Environment, Safety and Public Policy Committee, with millions of dollars in stock awards and remuneration. It is deeply undeserved, and we have made that case to ExxonMobil and its shareholders, including in a detailed report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last year.
@Boeing is having a horrible year — so bad that Chairman Larry Kellner is leaving the board … So why does @exxonmobil want Kellner on their board?? … #Boeing #Boeing737 #Exxon #ExxonMobil #BigOil #energy pic.twitter.com/psExxOaKIV
— NLPC (@NLPC) May 9, 2024
