- By Natalie Sherman
- Business reporter, New York
image source, Getty Images
Boeing 787 Dreamliners are often used on international flights
Boeing is facing fresh pressure after a whistleblower told US regulators about safety concerns about the production of some of its planes.
Engineer Sam Salehpour accused Boeing of taking shortcuts in the construction of its 787 and 777 airplanes.
He claims he was “threatened with termination” after raising concerns with bosses.
But Boeing said the claims were “inaccurate” and added it was confident its planes were safe.
“The issues raised have been the subject of a thorough engineering review [Federal Aviation Administration] oversight,” the company said.
“This analysis confirmed that these issues do not pose any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life for several decades.”
The plane maker’s shares sank nearly 2 percent on Tuesday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was investigating the claims and the company said it delivered just 83 planes to customers in the first three months of the year, the fewest number from 2021
The whistleblower complaint, first reported by the New York Times, is the latest incident to focus attention on the safety of planes made by US-based Boeing, one of the world’s two major commercial jet makers.
The company already faced a criminal investigation and other legal issues after an unused exit door broke on one of its smaller 737 Max 9 planes shortly after takeoff in January.
Passengers escaped serious injury, but the incident plunged the company into crisis, forcing the temporary grounding of dozens of 737 Max 9 planes, prompting regulatory probes and prompting Boeing to dramatically slow production of its planes.
The company, which has again come under intense scrutiny, prompted its CEO David Calhoun to announce last month that he would step down by the end of the year.
On Tuesday, lawyers for the engineer, Mr. Salehpour, said Boeing made decisions about the assembly of 787 planes that strained the joints that connect the planes’ body parts, a problem affecting more than 1,000 planes.
In a whistleblower complaint filed with the FAA in January, he claimed the method could reduce the aircraft’s lifespan.
“These problems are a direct result of Boeing’s decision in recent years to prioritize profits over safety and an FAA regulator that has become too deferential to the industry,” its attorneys, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, said in a statement.
The lawyers added that Mr Salehpour was moved to work on a 777 aircraft after he raised concerns.
They said he soon noticed other problems with the assembly of that plane.
“He was threatened with termination, excluded from important meetings, projects and communication, denied reasonable requests for medical leave, assigned work outside his expertise and effectively declared persona non grata to his colleagues,” they said.
The 787 Dreamliner is a larger aircraft than the 737, often used on international flights. It has been flying since 2011, but has been subject to quality complaints almost from the start.
Boeing eventually slowed production and halted deliveries for nearly two years in response to the issues that were raised. The FAA in 2022 allowed Boeing to resume deliveries.
The FAA, which has stepped up its oversight of Boeing since the door stopper blew up in January, said in a statement that it encourages people in the aviation industry to share information.
“We thoroughly investigate all reports,” the agency said when asked about the report.
