Boeing management, employees had 'disconnect' on safety, panel finds
The report pressed Boeing to review its findings and develop an action plan over 6 months to improve its safety culture
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A panel of experts appointed to review Boeing's safety management processes found a "disconnect" between the aerospace giant's senior management and employees on safety culture and other issues.
The panel was appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under a law passed by Congress after two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia, respectively. The panel began its work in early 2023, predating the recent mid-flight loss of the plug door panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 by almost a year.
The report criticized Boeing's safety culture and found "a lack of awareness of safety-related metrics at all levels of the organization" and cited an "inadequate and confusing implementation of the components of a positive safety culture."
It also referenced serious quality issues that have emerged in public since 2023, and the panel noted that recent issues, such as the door plug blowout incident, have "amplified the expert panel's concerns that the safety-related messages or behaviors are not being implemented across the entire Boeing population."
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The report faulted Boeing for an "inadequate and confusing" implementation of safety procedures. (David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The report said that Boeing should review the panel's findings and "develop an action plan" to address the concerns raised within six months.
Boeing told FOX Business in a statement: "We transparently supported the panel's review and appreciate their work. We've taken important steps to foster a safety culture that empowers and encourages all employees to share their voices. But there is more work to do."
"We will carefully review the panel's assessment and learn from their findings, as we continue our comprehensive efforts to improve our safety and quality programs," Boeing's statement continued.
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The FAA panel's report noted a disconnect between Boeing employees and senior management on safety processes. (LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun recently spoke to the company's employees and sought to emphasize the need to emphasize quality and flag issues as they arise during manufacturing processes.
"I ask all teammates to use their voices to speak up as we continue to focus on every detail through the lens of safety and quality first," he said. "Our people on the factory floor know what we must do to improve better than anyone."
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"We should all seek their feedback, understand how to help and always encourage any team member who raises issues that need to be addressed. We will go slow, we will not rush the system and we will take our time to do it right," Calhoun added.
Reuters contributed to this report.