A report on aerospace in 2024 would be incomplete without delving into the question of safety. In the wake of one of the biggest industry scandals in history — where two brand-new Boeing Max 737 planes were lost in almost identical accidents that led to 346 people losing their lives — a blame game ensued. Now former CEO Dave Calhoun was publicly grilled in Congress and an intensive FAA investigation into compliance issues is ongoing. Amid high-profile headlines and a harsh spotlight cast on the entire sector, we ask: Is this a classic case of safety being compromised in pursuit of profit? Or is there more to the story?
“When something high-profile goes wrong, there tends to be a sense of hysteria and heightened scrutiny, but it doesn’t mean that the thing that started it all wasn’t real. Aerospace is not amenable to cost-cutting and there’s been a trend where accountants overrule technical specialists. The consequences don’t necessarily manifest right away, but catch up with you in the end,” John Maris, president and CEO of Marinvent, tells us. He adds that testing real-world scenarios and considering factors like aircrew fatigue and stress should be a priority. “As a certification test pilot, one is essentially being paid to tell someone that their baby is ugly; that it may cost billions of dollars to fix; and that the product will probably be delivered late, which upsets the company and its customers.”
He argues that failures appearing technical in nature or the result of a pilot error can have managerial and process issues as their root causes. Aviation is extremely complex, so accidents are inevitable to a certain extent. However, unlike driving cars, extensive precautions are standard protocol; pilots and air traffic controllers undergo regular medical checks, the weather is continually monitored, and even airlines with the worst safety records are still safer than riding a motorcycle.
Boeing has been the top dog for decades. Still, some OEMs speculate that this precarious moment in the company’s history could induce changes — but could the Airbus-Boeing duopoly be under real threat? Arjan Meijer, president and CEO of Embraer, comments: “There's a lot of discomfort and uncertainty with the Airbus-Boeing duopoly, and airlines are considering how the market will develop.” As company losses mount following mass strike action, the OEM has even confirmed it will be axing a tenth of its workforce ( approximately 17,000 people).
In the meantime, the FAA hopes to provide reassurances, mandating Boeing develop a comprehensive action plan to address its quality control and production issues. They told us: “A dedicated team of FAA subject matter experts is constantly reviewing Boeing's progress. Senior FAA leaders meet weekly with Boeing to monitor performance, and monthly reviews are conducted to ensure that they’re on track with the necessary improvements.” We also reached out to Boeing for comment; they confirmed the implementation of a comprehensive plan to strengthen its safety management, quality assurance and safety culture: “We’re fully committed to this plan and to continuous improvement, which has helped make commercial aviation the safest mode of transportation, and will work under the FAA's oversight and uphold our responsibility to the flying public to continue delivering safe, high-quality aeroplanes.”
The events of the past 12 months have been a sobering reminder of the importance of regulation, especially as production targets ramp up. “Regulation is the gatekeeper for public safety. Without it, operators could cut corners, risking public safety and the industry's survival. We’ve seen from time to time that complacency in aircraft maintenance and regulation has led to safety issues and lapses. Even if high demand could be a contributing factor, it should never be an excuse for cutting corners,” says Jeffrey Lam, president of Commercial Aerospace, ST Engineering.