Embattled US plane maker Boeing on Friday said it is making progress in rebuilding trust with passengers and regulators, nearly a year after a door panel blew off during an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 flight.
The manufacturer said it had introduced more than a dozen new quality control checks as part of its new quality and safety plan, focusing on four key areas: elevating safety and quality culture, eliminating defects, simplifying processes and investing in workforce training.
Boeing was thrust into crisis on January 5, 2024, when the Alaska Airlines aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after a door panel blew out during a flight from Portland, Oregon. Numerous whistle-blowers came forward after the incident, alleging Boeing overlooked safety and quality standards.
The Federal Aviation Administration conducted a six-week audit of Boeing in March, in which it found multiple non-compliance issues in its manufacturing process. In May, the FAA ordered Boeing to develop a 90-day plan to transform its safety culture.
Roughly 33,000 workers at two major plants began a seven-week strike in September that crippled most of Boeing's production. The strike and enhanced safety checks by the FAA have forced Boeing to delay production of its 737 and 777x aircraft.
And in December, a federal judge rejected a plea deal between Boeing and the US Justice Department in December over two fatal 737 Max crashes that occurred in 2018 and 2019.
Boeing changes
Boeing said it has addressed more than 70 per cent of commercial plane production “action items” based on employee feedback and “significantly reduced” defects in 737 fuselage assembly at supplier Spirit AeroSystems. The plane maker said it also established new random quality audits to ensure compliance.
“Boeing is working to make progress executing its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement and effective employee engagement and training,” FAA Administrator Mike Whittaker said in a blog post on Thursday. “But this is not a one-year project. What’s needed is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing that’s orientated around safety and quality above profits.”
Mr Whittaker, who is due to step down later this month, said the FAA would continue its enhanced oversight of Boeing indefinitely. The FAA chief previously said the agency was too lenient in its oversight before the January 5 incident.
“Our goal is to develop even more dynamic oversight protocols that enable us to anticipate and identify risks before incidents occur,” he said.
Boeing said it also made improvements to its “Speak Up system” to help protect whistle-blowers. It also said it took steps to ensure accountability by having employees stamp their names on completed work.
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Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
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2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
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45 pairs of running shoes
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
The years Ramadan fell in May
