How Boeing plans to add more quality inspections for the 737 aircraft following an incident in which a cabin door panel exploded on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 flight.

Boeing’s response

• Boeing will implement additional quality inspections for the 737.
• These inspections will include port plug inspections and approximately 50 other checkpoints throughout the production process.
• The goal is to increase safety and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Nikki Haley allegedly helped Boeing kill shareholders who lobbied for the transparency initiative.

Allegations that Nikki Haley, a potential 2024 Republican Party candidate, helped Boeing kill a shareholder transparency lobbying initiative.

Allegations against Nikki Haley

• While serving on Boeing’s board in 2020, Nikki Haley allegedly helped kill a transparency lobbying effort.
• The initiative aimed to force the company to more widely disclose its spending to influence politicians and safety regulators.
• Government records suggest that Haley played a role in preventing this initiative from moving forward.

Safety concerns and whistleblower reports at Spirit and Alaska Airlines.

The safety concerns raised by employees at Spirit, which allegedly manufactured the door that exploded on the Alaska Airlines flight. It also mentions whistleblowers within Boeing who warned about safety problems.

Security concerns at Spirit.

• Before the Alaska Airlines incident, a Spirit employee reported excessive defects and believed it was only a matter of time before a serious defect occurred.
• Several former Spirit employees warned corporate officials about security issues but were allegedly instructed to falsify records.

Whistleblowers inside Boeing.

• There is a history of whistleblowers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airlines and Boeing who have raised concerns about safety issues.
• The FAA has been criticized for being slow to act until after a tragedy has occurred.
• The Alaska Airlines incident could have resulted in deaths, highlighting the importance of proactively addressing safety concerns.

Interview with Bill McGee on Aviation Security.

An interview with Bill McGee, senior aviation and travel researcher at the American Economic Liberties Project. It discusses warnings to employees and the challenges in addressing safety issues in the aviation industry.

Warnings and challenges for employees.

• There is a long history of whistleblowers in the aviation industry raising concerns about safety.
• The FAA is often called the “tombstone agency” because it tends to act only after fatal tragedies occur.
• McGee emphasizes that it takes major incidents or front-page news to draw attention to these issues.

Outsourcing and security concerns in the airline industry.

Outsourcing practices in the airline industry and how they relate to security issues. It also highlights the lack of control and supervision by regulatory authorities.

Extensive outsourcing.

• All U.S. airlines, without exception, outsource some or most of their aircraft maintenance work.
• This work used to be done by FAA-licensed mechanics at their own facilities, but is now largely outsourced to countries such as El Salvador, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore and China.
• Outsourcing extends not only to maintenance but also to manufacturing processes at companies like Boeing.

Security concerns with outsourcing.

• The extent of outsourcing raises questions about control and oversight.
• One example case mentioned involves the shipping of an aircraft part from an off-site repair station to a surf shop in Southern California.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not have good control over who is doing the work, where and when it is being done, resulting in a system of self-policing.

Lack of oversight and self-policing in the aviation industry.

The lack of oversight and self-policing in the aviation industry, particularly with regard to Boeing’s Max aircraft.

Lack of oversight by the FAA.

• The FAA, charged with protecting the public, struggles to effectively monitor and regulate the industry.
• Extensive outsourcing practices make it difficult for regulatory authorities to have control over security standards.
• A self-policing system leaves room for problems to persist until serious incidents occur.

Conclusion and need for improved security measures.

The discussion on aviation security issues and emphasizes the need for improved security measures in light of recent incidents.

Need for enhanced security measures.

• Despite well-known issues and whistleblower warnings, problems continue to arise due to inadequate security measures.
• The case of Boeing’s Max aircraft highlights the challenges posed by extensive outsourcing and a lack of oversight.
• It is crucial to address these issues proactively, rather than waiting for tragedies to occur.

Evidence of unsafe incidents.

• A woman was killed when she was sucked out of a Southwest Airlines plane about 5 years ago. This occurred due to an engine explosion on a Southwest 737, which caused debris to hit the fuselage. The FAA was asked to ground planes with this engine, but took no action. A few months later, the same incident happened again with another Southwest 737, resulting in another fatality.

• Although the global accident record and fatal accident record are important measures, they are not the only factors to consider. Real aviation safety experts point out that there is enough evidence to suggest that the trend lines are going in the wrong direction.

• Two fatal crashes involving US aircraft occurred outside the United States a few years ago, resulting in a total of 346 deaths. This highlights that relying solely on accident records as an indicator of safety can be misleading.

Concerns about Nikki Haley’s role.

• Boeing is a highly political company, with significant lobbying power and close ties to the US government. Nikki Haley’s involvement raises concerns about potential interference with regulations that could improve plane safety.
• Suggestions were made to address Boeing’s political influence and lobbying presence, including considering nationalization as a solution.