Aerospace manufacturer Boeing, is once again under the scanner, after its 787 Dreamliner aircraft operated by Air India, crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. The company has been marred in controversy with many incidents leading to fatalities, raising concerns over Boeing’s Safety Management System (SMS). From faulty seat switches, door plugs, and fuselage fixings, the airplane maker has been struggling to cope with safety and quality control issues
Boeing has been a major player in American manufacturing for decades. But in the past year, ongoing problems have taken a toll on its reputation. While authorities are yet to ascertain the cause of the devastating crash in Ahmedabad, Boeing hasn’t issued any official statement on the incident. But this brings to light several other instances questioning the plane-makers’ long-standing issues with quality control and safety.
Alaska Airlines Flight
An incident from recent history that comes to mind is the door plug that blew out mid-air in an Alaska Airlines Flight in early January 2024. This was a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft from Portland to Ontario (CA) that saw the covering on its emergency exit blow off at 16,000 feet. The National Transportation Safety Board found four bolts missing when the aircraft left Boeing’s Renton factory; the component had been opened for repair and not properly reinstalled. While there were no fatalities reported, 3 people sustained minor injuries during the emergency landing.
Following this incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 737‑MAX 9s for inspections. China, was among the first countries to ground MAX flights in 2019. Boeing later agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved the 737 Max
Other 737 Max crashes
Boeing’s safety reputation took a big hit after two 737 Max crashes—one near Indonesia and another in Ethiopia. These tragic accidents happened less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, resulting in 346 lives lost. This led to a worldwide grounding that lasted almost two years. It was a historic blow to Boeing, one that severely damaged its reputation and financial standing.
Jeju Air Flight
The Boeing 737‑800 aircraft crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea after it suffered a bird strike that led to hydraulic failure during landing. There were 189 passengers and crew onboard, but the incident left 179 fatalities with only 2 survivors. Boeing’s 737-800 is one of the world’s most flown airliners and was developed well before the MAX variant.
LATAM Flight to Auckland
In March 2024, a passenger flight from Sydney to Auckland, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, suddenly lost altitude, sending dozens of passengers flying into the air. Up to 50 people needed medical treatment. The cause was attributed to a pilot cockpit-seat switch accidentally being activated, which then unintentionally shifted the pilot’s control column. Boeing then issued an advisory to inspect 787 seat switches. It was only in August 2024 that, FAA issued its airworthiness directive
Financial Woes
In early 2025, Boeing forecasted a ~$4 billion for Q4 citing production quality issues, factory strikes, and supply disruptions, according to a Reuters report. While the plane manufacturer has managed to decrease its debt mostly by bond repayment and equity raises, it still posted an $11.8 billion net loss for the fiscal year, its worst since 2020. However, the stock has seen some appreciation in 2025. Boeing’s share price has risen 15.35% on a year-to-date basis.
