Boeing Faces Enormous Scrutiny After Recent Mishaps: Report

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reportedly said the Federal Aviation Administration will rigorously assess The Boeing Co BA after a fuselage blowout on an Alaska Air Group Inc ALK flight in January.

To maintain airline safety, “that means an enormous amount of rigor in dealing with Boeing, in dealing with any regulatory issue," Bloomberg quoted Buttigieg saying on Fox News Sunday. “And that's exactly what the FAA is doing."

Boeing, under scrutiny after multiple flight incidents, including the Alaska Airlines blowout, faces a criminal investigation by the Justice Department.

Following a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealing missing bolts, Alaska Airlines stated they are cooperating with the DOJ’s investigation.

Also Read: Boeing Claims Critical Records Missing After 737 MAX 9 Crisis: Report

Boeing admitted difficulty in locating records related to the malfunctioning door panel, a rare admission in an industry that prioritizes documentation.

Buttigieg’s remarks coincide with a week of incidents for United Airlines Holdings Inc UAL.

“Every time I step off of a jet bridge and onto a plane, which is every few days, I know that I am participating in the safest way to travel in the world. And we never take that for granted," the report quoted Buttigieg.

The FAA mandated the grounding of 171 planes for inspection post the Alaska Airlines incident, reminiscent of the 2019 global grounding of Boeing’s Max fleet.

Boeing reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the Justice Department following previous incidents, committing to a compliance program.

Read Next: Delta CEO Ed Bastian Expects Boeing 737 Max 10 Delivery To Be Postponed To 2027

Price Action: BA shares closed lower by 2.24% at $198.49 on Friday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo Courtesy: Tada Images On Shutterstock.com