Boeing: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

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Boeing's Quality Control and Safety Issues

A recent incident involving an Alaskan Airlines plane losing a door plug during a flight highlights concerns about Boeing's quality control and safety issues.
Despite being a new plane, the Boeing 737 MAX 9 had missing bolts that held the door plug in place, raising questions about the company's manufacturing processes.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun's response to the incident was criticized for lacking specific details and clarity.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all Boeing 737 MAX planes with plug doors for inspections, indicating a broader issue within the company.
Boeing's reputation for quality and craftsmanship has declined in recent years, with a series of alarming incidents, including fires on board and fatal crashes attributed to flawed Boeing planes.

Boeing's merger with McDonald Douglas in the 1990s is seen as a turning point, with the latter's profit-driven culture influencing Boeing's priorities.
Boeing shifted its focus from engineering excellence to stock buyback programs and relocated its headquarters away from its commercial plane design and manufacturing facilities.
The company's former CEO, Phil Condit, left amid a contracting scandal, and his successor, Harry Stonecipher, implemented aggressive cost-cutting measures.

The production of the 787 Dreamliner faced challenges due to the prioritization of stock price over quality, leading to delays and production issues.
Boeing announced the Dreamliner in 2004 but drastically cut the R&D budget while authorizing large stock buybacks and dividends for investors.
The Dreamliner was developed for less than half the cost of previous new planes by outsourcing production to about 50 suppliers, leading to structural issues and communication challenges.
Boeing CEO Stone Cipher resigned after an affair with a Boeing VP and was replaced by Jim McNerney, who accelerated cost-cutting measures.
The Dreamliner's first test flight was delayed by years and it finally delivered planes three years late and $25 billion over budget.
Multiple Dreamliner planes had fires on board due to a defective battery made by a subcontractor that Boeing had never audited, leading to the first grounding of a Boeing model since 1979.
Workers at the Dreamliner plant expressed concerns about its safety, with 10 out of 15 workers surveyed saying they wouldn't fly on the plane.

Boeing rushed the design and production of the 737 Max to compete with Airbus's A320 Neo, prioritizing speed and cost-cutting over safety.
Boeing diverted 92% of its operating cash flow to dividends and share buybacks from 2014 to 2018, neglecting investment in R&D for new planes.
The 737 Max was certified without adequate pilot training on the new MCAS system, which could push the plane's nose down based on a single sensor and was not disclosed to pilots or regulators.
A faulty MCAS activation caused the crash of a Lion Air flight in 2018, killing all 189 people on board.
Boeing executives were criticized for not informing pilots about MCAS and providing inadequate training on the system.
Boeing's 737 MAX planes were involved in two fatal crashes due to a faulty software system called MCAS.
Despite knowing about the risks, Boeing prioritized stock buybacks over fixing the issue.

The FAA relied heavily on Boeing employees to vouch for the plane's safety, leading to insufficient oversight.
Boeing was allowed to self-regulate, which resulted in conflicts of interest and pressure to limit safety analysis.
Recent legislation has reduced Boeing's ability to oversee its own planes, and the FAA is demanding a safety plan.
Boeing claims to be committed to accountability and transparency, but its past actions raise doubts.
A new issue with the engine anti-icing system has been identified, but Boeing is asking pilots to manage it rather than fixing the problem.
Whistleblowers believe Boeing needs new leadership to improve its culture.
Flight booking sites now allow users to exclude Boeing models from their searches due to concerns about safety.

Boeing's advertisements emphasize its history of quality and safety, but recent events have damaged its reputation.
The narrator works on the factory floor at Boeing and is known for their exceptionally fast work pace.
Quality is a top priority at Boeing, but sometimes it seems to be overlooked in favor of speed and efficiency.