For Boeing, 2024 was supposed to be the year of rebirth after the 737 Max storm. Instead, it has turned into a nightmare: a door that comes off in flight, billions spent to fix it, space failures and celestial accidents, the CEO who resigns. Now, as if that were not enough, the American transportation authority, the FAA, does not loosen its grip and relaunches: "Get it into your heads that safety comes before profits, or you will not get out of this." An ultimatum that sounds like a condemnation for the American aerospace giant, but perhaps also hides the last chance: that of turning the page (to really do it, I mean) and rebuilding the lost trust. Because Boeing's future, today more than ever, hangs by a thread.
A Year to Forget for Boeing: Future Uncertain
the 2024 Boeing's start had been under the worst auspices. In January, a 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines had lost a portion of its fuselage in flight that was designed to cover an unused emergency door. An accident that had brought to mind the specter of the two air disasters of 2018 and 2019, when 346 people lost their lives due to a defect in the MCAS anti-stall system on the 737 Max 8. And that had set off a chain reaction of disastrous consequences for the company.
Fine the immediate resignation of the CEO Dave Calhoun, with a red balance of 8,3 billion dollars to acquire the supplier responsible for the defective part, Spirit AeroSystems. Then the conclusion of the Department of Justice that Boeing had violated the agreement on previous 737 Max crashes, with a plea deal later thrown out by a judge because it included too many diversity and inclusion clauses. Finally, the FAA's move to impose a limit on 38 Max production of 737 planes per month and increased inspections at Boeing factories. A real earthquake for a giant that was counting on the 737 Max, its flagship product, to recover.
The Specter of the 737 Max
The real stone guest of this annus horribilis was precisely him, the 737 Max. The plane that was supposed to be Boeing's flagship, but instead became its cross. After two tragic crashes caused by faulty software and revelations about alleged "economic shortcuts" in the design and certification of the plane, the confidence of the authorities and the public in Boeing was at an all-time low. The company had worked hard to get the 737 Max back in the air, with technical changes and a long recertification process by authorities around the world. By early 2024, it seemed that the worst was over: the planes were flying again, orders were starting to come in, production was back to normal.
Then, the new accident. Of course, this time there were no victims, no tragic consequences. But the message was clear: Boeing had not learned its lesson. The old demons, the race for profits at the expense of safety, were back knocking on the door. And the FAA, the American civil aviation authority, had no intention of letting it slide.
FAA ultimatum weighs on Boeing's future
“What is needed is a radical cultural change at Boeing, one that puts safety and quality before profits.” These are harsh words from Mike Whitaker, the FAA administrator, in a blog post on the agency’s website exactly one year after the crash. “It will take continued commitment from Boeing, and relentless vigilance from us,” he added.
A real ultimatum, which comes after months of blanket checks and draconian restrictions imposed by the authority on Boeing's production processes. After the tailgate incident, in fact, the FAA not only limited the number of 38 Max that Boeing can churn out to 737 per month (against the 52 pre-pandemic), but also massively increased its presence in the factories, with surprise inspections and constant supervision of each assembly phase.
An unprecedented crackdown, which Whitaker assured is “destined to last”, at least until Boeing has demonstrated with facts and not just words that it has changed course. And that risks significantly complicating the recovery plans of the American giant, already struggling with a deep financial and image crisis.
Shadows on Boeing, from the sky to space
But the 737 Max woes are just the tip of the iceberg of Boeing's problems. In recent years, the company has racked up a series of failures and accidents that have put its credibility and finances to the test. There's the question of Starliner, the space capsule that after years of delays and a failed test reached the International Space Station only in May, while Elon Musk's SpaceX was racking up successes with its Crew Dragon.
There is the flop of the 777 times, the new giant of the skies that was supposed to compete with the Airbus A350 and that instead is piling up delay after delay, with deliveries postponed to 2025 and orders that are lacking. Not to mention the quality problems on the 787 Dreamliners, with production defects that have slowed down deliveries for months. And as if that were not enough, just as Boeing was struggling to recover, the cold shower of the 737-800 accident in South Korea arrived, which crashed with 132 people on board perhaps due to a trolley failure. On the other hand, it is a very successful model and without serious precedents, but the shadow of that disaster risks further lengthening the spectre of the 737 Max and its tragedies.
Boeing's future is yet to be written
As mentioned, 2024 has been an ordeal for Boeing. And 2025 looks set to be just as uphill. With FAA oversight at an all-time high, an order book to rebuild, a reputation to reclaim and accounts in the red, the future of the Seattle giant looks more uncertain than ever. With CEO Dave Calhoun's era coming to a close on a high, it's up to his successor, the 53-year-old Stan Deal, ferrying the company out of the storm. His recipe: cost cuts, focus on quality, transparency on problems. But above all, a new course under the banner of safety as a “non-negotiable priority,” to use his words.
A change of pace that will have to deal with the pressure of the market and shareholders for a full resumption of production and deliveries. And with a significant unknown: the changing of the guard at the White House, with the arrival of the new president Donald Trump and the likely turnover at the top of authorities such as the FAA. Will Boeing be able to convince the new occupant of the White House and his men that it has truly turned the page? Or will business logic prevail at all costs?
What is certain is that Boeing is at a crucial juncture in its history. A crossroads where it must choose between the comfortable path of profits and the more arduous one of safety as the North Star. A complex challenge, which will require time and a true cultural revolution. But also a unique opportunity to rebuild its reputation from scratch and return to being a symbol of excellence and innovation made in the USA. The eyes of the world are on Boeing. Its future, and that of thousands of passengers, depend on the choices it makes today. The hope is that, this time, it really puts safety first. Because flying is a dream, but life is priceless.
