Aviation company Boeing are in trouble. In recent times, there has been an upsurge in aviation-related technical errors in their aircraft. State sanctioned or not, the fact that it's happening signals a major decline in the international aviation industry.
Last week, a Boeing cargo plane, operated by FedEx, was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport due to an issue with its front landing gear. Fortunately for the airline, it wasn't a commercial flight, thus the pool for potential casualties was limited in scale and no one was hurt.
The Boeing 767 aircraft, taking off from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, encountered a technical error mid-flight and swiftly informed the control tower at Istanbul airport with permission to undertake an emergency landing. Despite the plane landing successfully, the wider question surrounding Boeing's safety regulations still remains in intense scrutiny. Scrutiny which has been met with legal action.
Allegations have surfaced from whistleblowers, accusing Boeing of compromising safety standards to expedite production processes, especially regarding the 787 Dreamliner. The assumption being that Boeing are forgoing safety standards in order to increase profits.
Boeing's reputation has suffered a crippling blow as a result of the legal case against them brought by these whistleblowers and the recent FedEx incident. However, this is not the first time in recent weeks a Boeing plane has suffered a serious malfunction. Another recent incident, involving the grounding of a Boeing aircraft 737, following a mid-air cabin blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January which United Airlines have said cost them $200 million dollars. Considering the plethora of incidents and concerns, The Fedex case has further deteriorated Boeing's already questionable reputation.
To add fuel to the fire, two of the whistleblowers have died. These whistleblowers scrutinized Boeing's safety and production standards when it comes to aircraft parts. One whistleblower died due to “crippling illness”, while the other was “found dead” from “self-inflicted gunshot wounds.”
Since then, there has been a police investigation underway into one of the deaths associated with the whistleblower group. Some sources have pinned the blame on Boeing for allegedly ordering the killings of Joshua Dean and John Barnett, but this is still to be verified. It has also been reported that there are roughly 10 whistleblowers, in employment and in retirement; no new casualties have been reported.
What does the aftermath of the emergency landing say about the credibility of Boeing? Well, a lot and yet not a lot. Following the temporary closure of the Istanbul runway, investigations into the accident are still pending. Other runways are still operational, but questions remain over the safety regulations of Boeing aircraft production.
The aftermath of these non-isolated incidents signal Boeing's increasing challenges in navigating post-crisis recovery with safety considerations. Following the fatal crash of its 737 Max plane in Ethiopia in 2018, which claimed 157 lives, Boeing has been attempting to restore confidence in its flagship model. They have done so through agreeing to legal compensation for the victims of the families, while addressing broader safety concerns across its production lines.
Despite these efforts, as investigations into the Istanbul emergency landing unfold, attention remains focused on Boeing’s commitment to enhancing safety standards and restoring public trust in its aircraft. While FedEx and Boeing declined to comment on the specific incident, the aviation community continues to monitor developments closely. All the while, whistleblowers continue to come forward trying to hold Boeing to account.
The emergency landing of the Boeing cargo plane in Istanbul serves as a reminder of the critical importance of aviation safety and regulatory compliance. For Boeing, the incident represents the crucial importance of always prioritizing the safety of passengers over Boeing’s aircraft production objectives. Boeing must change their business practices.
Image: AleGranholm
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