Boeing is having such a bad month that it’s taking all of our restraint to not make a tasteless joke comparing its performance to the door that flew off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
What happened: Aviation industry officials “increasingly believe” workers at the Boeing factory forgot to put on the bolts meant to secure the door plug that blew off the 737 MAX 9 jet carrying Alaska Airlines passengers earlier this month, per The Wall Street Journal.
- Sources noted process and paperwork oversights at Boeing’s Renton, Washington, factory, where the plane was repaired last October.
What’s next: Boeing is on thin ice. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upped its inspections of Boeing factories and put a cap on 737 MAX production. If another incident happens with MAX planes, one industry leader said the FAA could freeze production entirely.
Why it matters: The passenger jet industry is a duopoly, with Boeing and Airbus making the vast majority of large jets for the world’s airlines. If Boeing’s troubles force a production shutdown, it would be a disastrous blow, swinging the balance of power in favour of Airbus.
- This worries industry experts, who credit the rivalry for driving innovations that have made air travel better and more affordable.
- On a high horse, Airbus might no longer feel the need to innovate and start commanding higher prices for its planes, which airlines would pass down to flyers.
Zoom out: Industry experts hope a third player can emerge and generate more competition. Unfortunately, the likeliest candidate — Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China — faces regulatory hurdles and is up to 30 years away from being able to pump out jets at the scale of Boeing and Airbus.—QH