2024 was a devastating year for Boeing, marked by fatal crashes, whistleblower exposés, federal investigations, embarrassing confessions of fraud, and space program setbacks.
The aerospace company started this year on a high, winning the keenly contested multi-billion-dollar award for the next-generation fighter jet program, the F-47.
However, a tragic plane crash in India involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that killed 241 people has once again raised questions over the safety standards followed in the company.
The plane crash could not have come at a worse time for the beleaguered company, as Boeing is still facing federal investigations in the US over its work practices, poor safety standards, and falsifying 787 safety inspections.
As expected, the company’s shares took a hit in the pre-market trading on the NASDAQ, tanking as much as 8 percent. At about 8:15 a.m. ET, the Virginia-headquartered manufacturer’s scrips were trading 7.71% lower at $197.50. However, the share price somewhat recovered in the early trading hours and was trading at $204.77 apiece at 9:47 a.m. ET.
To be sure, this is the 787-Dreamliner’s first fatal crash in over 14 years of history, but it comes after the company is facing scrutiny following multiple crashes in 2024 involving the 737-Max and allegations of compromising the 787 Dreamliner’s safety.
The 787 Dreamliner is one of Boeing’s most successful aircraft, and a fatal crash involving it could spell trouble for the company, which is already battling low public trust in its 737 Max aircraft due to a spate of crashes and groundings.
A Morning Consult survey found that net trust in Boeing among U.S. respondents familiar with the brand dropped by 14 percentage points between Q4 2023 and January-February 2024. This decline was particularly pronounced among business travelers, who historically had higher trust in the brand.
However, despite these multiple crashes involving the 737-Max, people still had high faith in the 787-Dreamliner. Now, could the fatal crash of the 787 Dreamliner further shake confidence in Boeing?
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner: The Best-Selling Widebody Aircraft
According to Boeing, the 787 Dreamliner is the bestselling passenger widebody of all time. The aircraft had its maiden flight on December 15, 2009. Type certification was received in August 2011, and the first 787-8 entered commercial service in October 2011.
In the last 14 years, the 787 Dreamliner fleet has carried more than one billion passengers, faster than any other widebody jet in aviation history. The aircraft has completed over 5 million flights, and the plane is in service with nearly 80 airlines worldwide, including American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways, and Etihad Airways.
Additionally, Boeing has a strong order book for the Dreamliner family. Currently, it has received orders for 948 ‘787-Dreamliner’ family aircraft from all over the world.
During these 14 years of service, this is the first fatal crash of the 787 Dreamliner family aircraft, a testament to its impressive safety track record.
However, the 787-Dreamliner family had had its fair share of controversies, incidents, and groundings.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner: A Troubled Legacy
Though hugely successful, the Dreamliner family’s safety record is not without blemish. The first incidents happened within two years of its launch.
Early in its service life, the 787 faced significant issues with its lithium-ion batteries. In January 2013, two incidents occurred: A battery fire on a Japan Airlines 787 parked in Boston. Then there was a battery malfunction on an All Nippon Airways 787, leading to an emergency landing.
Another chilling incident, strikingly similar to the Indian Crash, happened last year.
Another former Boeing quality control manager at the South Carolina plant, John Barnett, also raised concerns, alleging widespread quality control lapses and that Boeing prioritized production over safety.
The 787 Crash In India
On June 12, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad in India to London, crashed just moments after takeoff. The plane was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. Reports suggest that only one person has survived the crash.
While it’s too early to point out the cause of the tragic crash, aviation experts are suggesting that some sort of mechanical failure could be behind it.
Visuals from the crash show that the landing gear of the plane was still extended even after the takeoff. The landing gear is normally retracted once a positive rate of climb is established, usually within seconds after the aircraft achieves an altitude of 50 to 60 feet.
However, in this case, the landing gear was extended even at an altitude of 600 feet. This could have been due to hydraulic or technical failure.
Another unusual element was that its wing flaps were fully retracted, a highly abnormal situation for the critical initial climb phase. Standard operating procedure for the 787 calls for flaps to be set at 5 (or higher) for takeoff, then gradually retracted only as the aircraft accelerates and gains altitude.
An Indian aviation expert and commercial pilot told the EurAsian Times: ‘Early retraction of flaps appears to be the cause of the tragic accident, but it’s too early to say anything.’
Former British Airways pilot Alastair Rosenschein told Sky News: “It’s clearly got its [landing] gear down and that is not correct… it should have been up. And from the video… It’s not immensely clear… but it does look like the aircraft didn’t have its take-off flap setting.”
Rosenschein explained that the wing flaps need to be set correctly, as they extend the shape of each wing and create vital extra lift at lower speeds, enabling the plane to take off and climb effectively.
He added that, while he was speculating, it “could explain why the aircraft came down” as the “aircraft would not have been able to maintain flight”.
Other experts suggested that the pilot briefly retracted the landing gear but quickly extended it again, possibly realizing a loss of power.
Engine failure is also suggested as a probable cause. However, the 787 is a twin-engine aircraft, and it is extremely rare for both engines to fail simultaneously.
Investigators will analyse the flight data and cockpit recordings in the coming days. However, at this stage, some sort of mechanical or technical failure seems the most likely cause.
Will The Crash Impact Boeing?
The civil aviation market globally is dominated by a duopoly of Boeing and Airbus. Together, they control more than 90 % of the global civil aviation market.
The 787 Dreamliner is an established brand, the pride of Boeing’s catalogue for long-distance planes. This aircraft is renowned for its exceptional fuel efficiency, long range (exceeding 13,000 km), passenger comfort, and the ability to transport more than 300 people.
The 787 Dreamliner is a global hit for Boeing. Since entering service in 2011, as many as 2,598 of these planes have been ordered by more than 80 airlines around the world. Boeing also has a robust order book, with over 900 orders on the books.
While the 787 Dreamliner family of aircraft had some minor issues in the past, this is its first fatal crash in 14 years, during which it has conducted over five million flights. This is a stellar safety record for any aircraft. A single incident is unlikely to shake people’s and airlines’ trust in the 787 family.
However, Boeing has received considerable negative press in the last year, largely due to safety issues with its 737 Max.
Additionally, there are still pending FAA investigations into some of the work practices followed at Boeing. A crash at this stage could exacerbate the company’s woes by generating further negative press.
Though in the long run, a few incidents, howsoever tragic, are unlikely to shake the duopoly of Boeing and Airbus on the global civil aviation market.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
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