(NewsInsights.org) – Boeing Co. is set to receive $212 million dollars from the government to make repairs to the EA-18G and F/A-18 E/F fighter jets, both of which the company originally manufactured. According to a June 18 update from the DoD, the controversial aerospace giant was awarded this substantial order under the terms of a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) first established in October 2023.
The hefty multi-million dollar contract comes at an especially tumultuous time for Boeing, which continues to find itself embroiled in controversies over its safety protocols.
Six years ago, 346 people were killed in two major accidents involving Boeing’s 737 Max 8 planes. Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea in October 2018. Then, just five months later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, six minutes after taking off.
In January 2024, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 door panel suddenly flew off during an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California. While no one suffered any serious injuries, the failure depressurized the cabin and forced the jet to turn back around and land.
The National Transportation Safety Board later determined that bolts were missing in the door plug, a critical part that seals unused emergency exits during a flight.
A steady stream of whistleblowers have come forward to accuse Boeing of compromising on safety to cut corners in recent years. In fact, at least 32 workers from various locations registered complaints about the company with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) between December 2020 and January 2024.
John Barnett, a former quality control engineer, spent three decades working for Boeing at its South Carolina facility. In 2019, he accused the company of knowingly installing defective parts on its production line.
Joshua Dean, a quality auditor who once worked for Boeing’s supplier Spirit AeroSystems, went public with his concerns in 2023. He accused leadership at both companies of intentionally ignoring manufacturing defects in Boeing’s 737 MAX planes.
Both whistleblowers were found dead in early 2024. Barnett allegedly took his own life shortly after testifying against Boeing in March. Dean passed away after a brief “struggle with a sudden, fast-spreading infection” in May.
Multiple federal investigations into these alleged failures are already underway. On June 14, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) officially launched a congressional inquiry into Boeing Co.’s safety record and the Federal Aviation Administration’s handling of whistleblower reports.
Copyright 2024, NewsInsights.org
