Since late 2018, a series of setbacks have beset Boeing, including fatal crashes that grounded its best-selling jetliner, as well as a problem with a door latch that detached mid-air and left a gaping hole in the side of the plane.
The incidents not only killed 346 people on board, but also damaged Boeing's reputation and cost it tens of billions of dollars. Here are the milestones that marked Boeing's "unstoppable decline" over the years:
Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft parked at King County International Airport, USA. Photo: AP
October 29, 2018
Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.
Rescue team members collect personal belongings of victims at Tanjung Priok port, north Jakarta on October 29, 2018, after they were recovered from the waters where Lion Air flight 610 crashed. Photo: AFP
January 30, 2019
Boeing reported record earnings, topping $100 billion in revenue for the first time. The company forecasts a brighter future ahead.
March 10, 2019
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bound for Nairobi, Kenya. All 157 people on board were killed.
The Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashed on March 10, 2019, near Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Photo: AFP
March 11, 2019
China grounded all 737 Max planes after a second crash. Many countries followed suit in the days that followed.
Four Shanghai Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft on March 11, 2019 at Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai, China. Photo: AP
March 15, 2019
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a 20-month grounding of all 737 Max jets.
A Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is parked on the runway at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington on March 21, 2019. Photo: Reuters
April 4, 2019
Boeing has admitted for the first time that a feature called MCAS on the 737 Max was responsible for two fatal crashes. MCAS was installed on the 737 Max to prevent the plane from climbing too fast and stalling, but investigators found that pilots were not trained on the system.
July 24, 2019
Boeing reported a record $3.7 billion loss in the second quarter, its first since the Max grounding.
October 29, 2019
On the anniversary of the first fatal crash, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg testified before a U.S. Senate committee, where he apologized to the victims' families and said the company "understands and deserves" the scrutiny it faces. He met with family members after the hearing.
Dennis Muilenburg, former Chairman and CEO of Boeing, faces relatives of victims during a hearing of the US Senate Committee on October 29, 2019. Photo: AP
December 20, 2019
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft made an unmanned test flight to the International Space Station, but failed and was forced to return to Earth, one of a series of failures and mishaps that have shown Boeing lagging far behind SpaceX in transporting astronauts for NASA.
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft after landing by parachute on December 22, 2019 in New Mexico. Photo: NASA
December 23, 2019
CEO Dennis Muilenburg was ousted in the closing days of a tumultuous year for Boeing. He was replaced by David Calhoun, who had been the company's chairman.
January 21, 2020
Boeing has halted production of the 737 Max, admitting that a fix won't come as soon as expected. The company had previously continued building the 737 Max despite the plane being grounded.
March 4, 2020
United Airlines and JetBlue Airways became the first U.S. airlines to slash flight schedules as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. By mid-month, air travel in the U.S. was down 96% from a year earlier, and U.S. airlines had cut 71% of scheduled flights.
The economic damage to airlines around the world has led to widespread cancellations of 737 Max orders. Normally, cancellations would result in heavy fines. But during the pandemic, orders can be canceled without penalty due to the prolonged grounding, which has further hurt Boeing.
A deserted check-in area on March 5, 2020 inside San Francisco International Airport. Photo: Bloomberg
May 27, 2020
Boeing announced it is laying off nearly 7,000 employees. Boeing is cutting 16,000 jobs as demand for planes plummets during the pandemic, followed by another 7,000 job cuts announced later in the year.
August 28, 2020
The FAA grounded eight 787 Dreamliners over manufacturing concerns. While the ban was short-lived, it marked the beginning of a series of deliveries that were halted for more than two years due to questions about whether the aircraft were being built according to specifications.
November 18, 2020
The FAA announced the end of a 20-month grounding of the 737 Max, allowing the plane to return to service. However, the grounding has so far cost Boeing about $20 billion, a cost that will increase in the coming years.
September 20, 2021
Boeing has revealed that it found empty tequila bottles inside one of the two 747 jets being refurbished to become the next generation Air Force One, highlighting Boeing's negligence in manufacturing aircraft for government customers.
April 27, 2022
Boeing announced a delay in the launch of its next-generation jet, the 777X, as well as a $660 million charge related to rising costs to deliver two new jets used as Air Force One.
April 14, 2023
Boeing announced that production and deliveries of its 737 Max will be disrupted, although planes that have already been delivered will continue to fly.
January 5, 2024
An Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 plane's door latch came unlatched minutes after takeoff, creating a hole in the side of the plane. Passengers' clothes and phones were sucked out, but fortunately there were no casualties as no one was sitting near the hole.
Hole in the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane in Portland, Oregon, on January 7, 2024. Photo: NTSB
February 6, 2024
A preliminary investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the plane involved in the incident was missing four bolts needed to secure the door.
February 26, 2024
The FAA issued a report that criticized “flaws in Boeing’s safety procedures.” The next day, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix the problem. Subsequent FAA reports found numerous problems with Boeing’s manufacturing operations after a six-week inspection.
March 1, 2024
The FAA warned of potential safety issues with the engines on the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner. On the same day, the US State Department fined Boeing $51 million for nearly 200 export violations, including the unauthorized export of technical data to China.
March 11, 2024
A LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 flight from Sydney to Auckland suffered a sudden loss of altitude, throwing some passengers into the ceiling of the cabin and injuring dozens. Fortunately, the plane was able to land without further incident.
Days after the incident, Boeing sent a notice to airlines that own the 787, warning them to check the switch in the pilot’s seat. If the switch was accidentally activated, the pilot could be thrown forward into the plane’s controls.
A LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the runway at Auckland International Airport, March 12. Photo: AFP
Hoai Phuong (according to CNN)
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