Boeing sees big drop in output after strikes and safety problems

Boeing said there was “work underway” to improve its culture, and to “restore trust and deliver for our customers”.

The firm’s production was hamstrung in 2024, first by serious concerns over quality control, both in its own facilities and at a key supplier.

Later in the year, a strike by workers in its Washington state heartlands paralysed two of its most important factories.

Together these factors helped bring its output down sharply from the 528 aircraft delivered in 2023.

Boeing’s year began badly. In January 2024, a panel fitted over an unused emergency exit door fell off a brand new 737 Max shortly after take-off.

The incident left a gaping hole in the side of the plane. Investigators later concluded that the panel had not been bolted into place properly.

The affair put quality control standards at Boeing and its primary supplier Spirit Aerosystems under a harsh spotlight.

An audit by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, found “multiple instances” where both companies had failed to meet required standards.

Boeing had previously been planning to ramp up production of the 737 Max, its bestselling aircraft. Instead, its output was capped by the FAA.

It also faced intense public criticism over its apparent failure to improve safety standards following two previous accidents involving the 737 Max five years ago.

The manufacturer has since faced increased oversight from the regulator, and is in the process of implementing a major safety and quality control improvement plan.