Boeing’s Safety Plan: What to Expect After 90 Days

Boeing’s 90-day deadline to submit a safety plan to the FAA has arrived. Here’s what to expect.

A Crucial Meeting

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and other top company leaders are scheduled to meet with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday to present a quality improvement plan. This plan aims to show better staff training and production practices at its factories. 

The FAA ordered this report following a near-catastrophic blowout of an airplane door panel on a new 737 Max 9 earlier this year. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, who is also scheduled to join the meeting, gave Boeing 90 days to develop a quality improvement plan after the incident on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

Identifying the Problems

Federal safety investigators found that bolts were not installed to hold the panel before the plane was delivered to Alaska Airlines. This severe error led the FAA to bar Boeing from increasing 737 Max production until the agency was satisfied with the company’s quality control improvements.

Impact on Production

The crisis again tarnished Boeing’s reputation, subjected it to more federal scrutiny, and forced it to slow 737 Max output. These delays have impacted airline customers like United and Southwest, who have had to adjust their growth plans.

Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West stated on May 23 that the company expects to burn cash this year instead of generating it. For the current quarter alone, Boeing anticipates using about $4 billion. “The 90-day plan… is not a finish line,” West said at an investor conference last week. “We look forward to the feedback we’ll get after next week.”

Expected Improvements

Boeing’s update on Thursday is expected to detail improvements in staff training, such as simplified instructions for mechanics and tool availability and the reduction of so-called traveled work, where required tasks on the planes are done out of sequence. The manufacturer will also explain more about its factory “stand-downs,” where it paused work to discuss potential production line improvements with employees. These brief work pauses were implemented in the months following the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout.

Calhoun, who announced he would step down by the end of the year, informed staff in April that the company had received more than 30,000 “ideas on how we can improve” and that “speak up submissions”—concerns raised by staff—and comments were up 500% compared to 2023.

Thursday’s meeting will be critical for Boeing as it presents its quality improvement plan to the FAA. Although the 90-day plan will only solve some issues, the company is committed to receiving and acting on feedback to ensure safety and efficiency in its operations.