Facing scrutiny, Boeing vows to increase quality checks. But will it be sufficient?

After a door plug blew off a plane mid-flight, Boeing is working hard to regain trust in its grounded 737 Max 9 jets. The incident happened on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, causing an emergency landing. The airplane manufacturer is making changes, including adding new inspections at its factories and the third-party parts supplier, Spirit AeroSystems.

In a statement on Monday, Boeing's Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal mentioned the addition of quality inspections. Notably, Spirit AeroSystems made the door plug involved in the incident on Jan. 5. Airline customers like Alaska and United Airlines will now be able to send their own inspectors to the factories. This move aims to address concerns raised by both airlines about loose parts found on their newly purchased 737 Max 9 planes.

Stan Deal emphasized that these checks will add another layer of scrutiny to the thousands of inspections already performed on each 737 airplane. The goal is to catch any potential non-conformances and build on existing reviews. The company is striving to earn approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to unground the affected 737-9s.

Amidst criticism from the FAA, which grounded 171 of the 737 Max 9 planes in the United States, Boeing is also facing the possibility of an independent third-party inspector overseeing its inspections and quality.

However, these efforts may not be enough to restore public faith in Boeing and the troubled 737 Max. Rory Kennedy, director of the documentary "Downfall: The Case Against Boeing," expressed skepticism. Kennedy, who chronicled the aftermath of the 2018 and 2019 Boeing 737 Max crashes, highlighted Boeing's culture shift prioritizing finances over safety.

Kennedy's documentary revealed how Boeing initially blamed foreign pilots for the accidents but later admitted knowledge of the flawed automated control system. The film suggests that Boeing's focus on shareholder value led to a speed-driven process, discouraging employees from reporting problems and resulting in poorer quality aircraft.

The company's history includes reports of employees leaving debris in newly built planes, even after massive layoffs. The crashes in 2018 and 2019 prompted Boeing to settle criminal charges in 2021 and pay a $200 million penalty in 2022 for misleading investors about the 737 Max's safety.

Kennedy noted that families of crash victims are now calling for a congressional investigation following the recent Alaska Airlines incident. Questions about the company's leadership, safety protocols, and actions taken by CEO David Calhoun are being raised.

On the same day as the door plug failure, Boeing reportedly sought an exemption from safety standards on the 737 MAX 7, despite objections from the Allied Pilots Association. Concerns were raised about the jet's engine anti-ice system, with Boeing acknowledging a potentially catastrophic defect.

In conclusion, Boeing faces a challenging task of restoring trust in its 737 Max aircraft, with ongoing scrutiny from regulators and growing calls for accountability and transparency.