Boeing faces whistleblower allegations amid safety concerns

Boeing crisis: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into allegations made by a whistleblower at Boeing, suggesting the company disregarded safety and quality concerns during the production of its 787 and 777 jets, an agency spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

This development adds to the ongoing safety crisis that has significantly impacted Boeing's reputation, stemming from a mid-air panel blowout on a 737 MAX plane on January 5. The fallout from the incident has led to a series of measures, including management changes, production constraints imposed by US regulators, and a notable drop in deliveries, which plummeted by half in March.

The allegations were brought forth by Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour, who claims to have faced retaliation, including threats and exclusion from meetings, after raising concerns about engineering issues affecting the structural integrity of the 787 and 777 jets. Salehpour's attorneys highlighted instances where Boeing allegedly resorted to shortcuts during the assembly of the 787, compromising safety standards.

Boeing had previously halted deliveries of the 787 for over a year until August 2022, as the FAA probed quality problems and manufacturing flaws. In 2021, the company acknowledged issues such as improperly sized shims and areas not meeting skin-flatness specifications in some 787 aircraft.

In response to the allegations, Boeing issued a statement expressing full confidence in the 787 Dreamliner, refuting the claims as "inaccurate" and not reflective of the rigorous quality assurance measures implemented by the company.

Salehpour's revelations include observations of assembly shortcuts on the 787, which reportedly placed undue stress on critical airplane joints and left drilling debris embedded in over 1,000 planes. He also highlighted concerns regarding misalignment during the production of the 777, allegedly rectified through forceful measures.

Following the FAA's confirmation of the investigation, Boeing's shares experienced a nearly 2 per cent decline, closing at $178.12 on Tuesday.

The FAA stressed the importance of voluntary reporting within the aviation industry and assured a thorough investigation into all reports, indicating that the agency has already met with the whistleblower.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) confirmed Salehpour's employment at Boeing's Everett, Washington plant but refrained from commenting on the specifics of his claims.

In response to the escalating concerns, US Senator Richard Blumenthal announced plans for a Senate hearing on Boeing's safety culture, scheduled for April 17. The hearing, titled "Examining Boeing's Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts," will feature Salehpour's testimony, with Blumenthal advocating for Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to testify in the future.

Boeing has pledged cooperation with the Senate subcommittee, offering to provide documentation, testimony, and technical briefings. Salehpour's attorneys revealed that he has provided documentation to the FAA, which will be presented at the upcoming hearing.

The FAA's scrutiny of Boeing has intensified since the January 5 incident, with Administrator Michael Whitaker stressing the need for Boeing to address systemic quality-control issues within 90 days.

In a parallel development, the US Department of Justice is investigating whether Boeing breached a 2021 settlement related to the 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. Prosecutors are expected to leverage findings from the FAA's investigations to determine any violations of the settlement terms.

Despite these challenges, Boeing secured FAA approval for the first 787 Dreamliner delivery since 2021 in August 2022, following inspection and retrofitting efforts to meet certification standards. Currently, approximately 1,100 Dreamliners are in service, according to Boeing.

(With Reuters inputs.)