2024 has been a very difficult year for Boeing. The aerospace giant has dealt with many issues, including safety concerns and poor quality, which have cost it billions.
A workers' strike made things worse. It stopped work at two key factories for weeks. Even Boeing's space program had problems. Two astronauts got stuck on the space station in June. Their Boeing capsule had a possible defect, and coming back to Earth in it was deemed too risky.
Boeing is also facing a crisis of trust within the company. "People in Boeing don't believe in words from top management anymore," says an industry analyst.
Sam Mohawk works in quality control at a Boeing plant. He came forward as a whistleblower earlier this year. Mohawk claimed that thousands of bad parts may have ended up on planes. This happened in the chaos after the pandemic, he said.
Boeing's leaders were accused of focusing on profits over safety. The company has since hired a new CEO, Kelly Ortberg. Ortberg has vowed to "restore trust" and put safety first. But Mohawk says "nothing has changed" at the plant.
Boeing rejects Mohawk's claims. It says they were thoroughly investigated and found not to be true.
Another Boeing worker describes low morale and rushed work. Employees "don't always follow the rules because they feel the pressure," he claims.
But some experts see signs of progress at Boeing. They say Ortberg is taking the company back to its core values. He wants to build planes "as effectively and safely as possible."
Boeing is still a huge company—it employs over 150,000 people and is a big part of the U.S. economy—but many say it needs to rebuild trust.
"We'd like to go down," the first officer said over the radio. "Alaska 1282 declaring an emergency." Air pressure in the plane dropped fast. So did the temperature.
The pilots put on oxygen masks and worked together to land the damaged jet. No one was badly hurt, but it was a close call.
Investigators found that a panel had not been bolted on the right. It came off as the plane climbed. The 737 Max is Boeing's newest and most popular model. Over 1,600 have been delivered to airlines.
But the 737 Max has had serious safety problems before. In 2018, one crashed into the sea near Indonesia. Months later, another went down after takeoff in Ethiopia. Three hundred forty-six people died in total.
Faulty software was blamed for the crashes. It was meant to make the plane easier to fly, but instead, it forced the jets into fatal dives.
Some say Boeing cut corners to boost profits. A 2020 Congressional report found Boeing's rush to build planes quickly "jeopardized the safety of the flying public."
The 737 Max was grounded for 20 months after the crashes. Regulators closely examined its design. Boeing faced heavy criticism about its priorities.
The Portland incident again put Boeing under scrutiny. It highlighted ongoing quality control problems, and issues were found with several plane parts.
Whistleblowers claimed that pressure to produce planes fast was compromising safety. The deaths of two whistleblowers in 2024 brought more unwanted attention.
"Boeing has put profits and speed of production ahead of quality and safety," said Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Boeing laid out steps to improve production and oversight, promised better training and safety protocols, and, in July, took control of a key supplier to tackle quality problems.
In August, a new CEO took over: industry veteran Kelly Ortberg. He pledged to change Boeing's culture.
Weeks later, over 30,000 Boeing workers went on strike. The walkout lasted seven weeks. It halted work on several major jet programs.
The strike was driven by employee anger, experts say. "They were absolutely disgusted with how they had been treated," according to one analyst. Boeing had to give big pay raises and benefits to end the strike. It cost the company an estimated $5.5 billion.
The walkout came as Boeing was already losing money. In the first nine months of 2024, it lost nearly $8 billion. Boeing said it would cut 17,000 jobs in response.
The company's struggles have badly hurt its business. For five straight years, Boeing has delivered fewer planes than rival Airbus. In 2024, Airbus shipped 497 jets to Boeing's 291.
This has frustrated Boeing customers. Some airlines have had to scale back growth plans, and others have laid off workers.
But Airbus can't fully capitalize on Boeing's woes. Its orders are backlogged by nearly 8,700 planes, and supply chain issues have slowed its deliveries, too.
This could open the door for a third major plane maker. "Over the next five to 10 years, there will be a gap between what the market is asking for and what Airbus and Boeing can deliver," says an expert.
Brazil's Embraer is one contender to step in, and China's Comac is another. The analyst predicts that "it's going to be a chance for Comac to come into different markets. "
But experts caution that Boeing's problems run deep. "The hardest thing to change in large companies is the mindset of people," says one. It takes time, and it needs to be manifested in actions."
Some believe the new CEO Ortberg has a chance to right the ship. A complete attitude change could spark a "borderline miraculous" comeback, according to one observer.
Others see the solution lower in Boeing's ranks. The key will be "the gatekeepers and the people who support doing things properly, not just keeping the schedule going," says a pilots' union leader.
Much is riding on Boeing's recovery. "The stakes could not be higher," the union spokesman says.
A workers' strike made things worse. It stopped work at two key factories for weeks. Even Boeing's space program had problems. Two astronauts got stuck on the space station in June. Their Boeing capsule had a possible defect, and coming back to Earth in it was deemed too risky.
Boeing is also facing a crisis of trust within the company. "People in Boeing don't believe in words from top management anymore," says an industry analyst.
Sam Mohawk works in quality control at a Boeing plant. He came forward as a whistleblower earlier this year. Mohawk claimed that thousands of bad parts may have ended up on planes. This happened in the chaos after the pandemic, he said.
Boeing's leaders were accused of focusing on profits over safety. The company has since hired a new CEO, Kelly Ortberg. Ortberg has vowed to "restore trust" and put safety first. But Mohawk says "nothing has changed" at the plant.
Boeing rejects Mohawk's claims. It says they were thoroughly investigated and found not to be true.
Another Boeing worker describes low morale and rushed work. Employees "don't always follow the rules because they feel the pressure," he claims.
But some experts see signs of progress at Boeing. They say Ortberg is taking the company back to its core values. He wants to build planes "as effectively and safely as possible."
Boeing is still a huge company—it employs over 150,000 people and is a big part of the U.S. economy—but many say it needs to rebuild trust.
Safety Issues Plague 737 Max
Boeing's difficult year started with a scary flight in January. A brand-new 737 Max took off from Portland, Oregon. Shortly after, at 16,000 feet, something went very wrong."We'd like to go down," the first officer said over the radio. "Alaska 1282 declaring an emergency." Air pressure in the plane dropped fast. So did the temperature.
The pilots put on oxygen masks and worked together to land the damaged jet. No one was badly hurt, but it was a close call.
Investigators found that a panel had not been bolted on the right. It came off as the plane climbed. The 737 Max is Boeing's newest and most popular model. Over 1,600 have been delivered to airlines.
But the 737 Max has had serious safety problems before. In 2018, one crashed into the sea near Indonesia. Months later, another went down after takeoff in Ethiopia. Three hundred forty-six people died in total.
Faulty software was blamed for the crashes. It was meant to make the plane easier to fly, but instead, it forced the jets into fatal dives.
Some say Boeing cut corners to boost profits. A 2020 Congressional report found Boeing's rush to build planes quickly "jeopardized the safety of the flying public."
The 737 Max was grounded for 20 months after the crashes. Regulators closely examined its design. Boeing faced heavy criticism about its priorities.
The Portland incident again put Boeing under scrutiny. It highlighted ongoing quality control problems, and issues were found with several plane parts.
Whistleblowers claimed that pressure to produce planes fast was compromising safety. The deaths of two whistleblowers in 2024 brought more unwanted attention.
"Boeing has put profits and speed of production ahead of quality and safety," said Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Costly Strike Piles On More Woes
After the Portland scare, officials ordered Boeing to make a plan. The goal was to fix its "systemic quality control and production issues."Boeing laid out steps to improve production and oversight, promised better training and safety protocols, and, in July, took control of a key supplier to tackle quality problems.
In August, a new CEO took over: industry veteran Kelly Ortberg. He pledged to change Boeing's culture.
Weeks later, over 30,000 Boeing workers went on strike. The walkout lasted seven weeks. It halted work on several major jet programs.
The strike was driven by employee anger, experts say. "They were absolutely disgusted with how they had been treated," according to one analyst. Boeing had to give big pay raises and benefits to end the strike. It cost the company an estimated $5.5 billion.
The walkout came as Boeing was already losing money. In the first nine months of 2024, it lost nearly $8 billion. Boeing said it would cut 17,000 jobs in response.
The company's struggles have badly hurt its business. For five straight years, Boeing has delivered fewer planes than rival Airbus. In 2024, Airbus shipped 497 jets to Boeing's 291.
This has frustrated Boeing customers. Some airlines have had to scale back growth plans, and others have laid off workers.
But Airbus can't fully capitalize on Boeing's woes. Its orders are backlogged by nearly 8,700 planes, and supply chain issues have slowed its deliveries, too.
Third Competitor Could Emerge
Demand for new jets is strong. Boeing and Airbus project a need for over 40,000 planes in the next 20 years. Newer models offer big fuel savings for airlines. Delays in fleet upgrades will be costly.This could open the door for a third major plane maker. "Over the next five to 10 years, there will be a gap between what the market is asking for and what Airbus and Boeing can deliver," says an expert.
Brazil's Embraer is one contender to step in, and China's Comac is another. The analyst predicts that "it's going to be a chance for Comac to come into different markets. "
Signs of Progress, But Challenges Remain
In December, the FAA chief visited the Renton plant that whistleblower Sam Mohawk flagged. At the time, he said, "What's truly needed is a fundamental cultural shift" toward safety and quality. The FAA plans to watch Boeing closely as it ramps up output post-strike.But experts caution that Boeing's problems run deep. "The hardest thing to change in large companies is the mindset of people," says one. It takes time, and it needs to be manifested in actions."
Some believe the new CEO Ortberg has a chance to right the ship. A complete attitude change could spark a "borderline miraculous" comeback, according to one observer.
Others see the solution lower in Boeing's ranks. The key will be "the gatekeepers and the people who support doing things properly, not just keeping the schedule going," says a pilots' union leader.
Much is riding on Boeing's recovery. "The stakes could not be higher," the union spokesman says.
