Boeing Sees Surge in Employee Concerns Amid Safety Scrutiny

Boeing has reported a six-fold increase in employee submissions regarding product safety and quality concerns in the first two months of 2024, compared to the same period in the previous year. This dramatic rise follows a Jan. 5 incident where a mid-air cabin panel blew out on a newly minted Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 jet.

This event has intensified scrutiny of Boeing's safety practices and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose production restrictions on Boeing's 737 MAX jets.

In February, an expert panel reviewing Boeing's safety management processes identified a "disconnect" between senior management and employees involved in the company's safety culture. This gap has become a focal point as Boeing prepares to deliver a comprehensive plan to the FAA, aimed at addressing quality control issues by the mandated deadline of May 30.

"We proactively seek the inputs of our people, as demonstrated by the active participation and suggestions of our employees during stand downs following the accident and their engagement in various channels for speaking up that are accessible to all of our people. Our policies strictly prohibit retaliation of any kind," said former CEO Dave Calhoun.

Boeing's third annual safety report shows a 500% increase in the use of the company’s Speak Up tool, which allows employees to report their safety and product quality concerns.

As Boeing prepares its FAA-mandated report, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented on the company's internal safety culture. Speaking on NBC News' "Face the Nation," he said, "The encouraging part is we want Boeing, and any producer in the aviation space, to have a culture of, if you see something, say something. We want to make sure those mechanisms for reporting work."

Buttigieg added that Boeing needs to demonstrate its readiness to safely increase production before any hold on production levels can be lifted. "They are going to have to do more to demonstrate their readiness to safely increase production," he emphasized.

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, in an interview with ABC News, stated that Boeing has a "long road ahead" to address quality-control issues and ramp up its manufacturing processes. "What we are seeing next week is the plan going forward. It is not the end of the process. It is the beginning, and it is going to be a long road to get back where they need to be making safe airplanes," Whitaker said.