Aviva Fried / Photo credits: Nicolas Economou / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP
In the United States, a report criticizes the safety of aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which has experienced several incidents in recent months. In this report, the limits of the intensive subcontracting policy are pointed out.
The American Aviation Administration has just published a damning report on Boeing’s practices. A report which follows the audits ordered after the incident of the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX which lost a door in mid-flight. The limits of the intensive subcontracting policy implemented by Boeing have undoubtedly been reached.
“The company may say the planes are safe, but there is plenty of evidence to the contrary.”
For 20 years, Boeing has gotten rid of its industrial production, to concentrate on assembly which allows it to generate greater profits. The aircraft manufacturer outsources almost everything, from research and development to fuselage manufacturing. Subcontractors like Spirit Aero, the manufacturer of the 737 Max, do this. Result: supervision that is not up to standard, as Ed Pierson, a former Boeing executive who became a whistleblower, explains to the CBC channel.
“Boeing needs to start building planes again, like it did many years ago. [Il doit] stop looking at the stock price and focus on quality. Otherwise, we are heading for disaster. The company may say the planes are safe, but there is a lot of evidence to the contrary,” he said.
This evidence is found in the American administration’s report. Workers using hotel room cards to test door seals or dishwashing liquid as a lubricant to install them… Of 13 audits at Spirit Aero, seven ended in failures. A hard blow for Boeing, which has already recorded several order cancellations.