Boeing workers pressured to put speed over quality, FAA says

Boeing factory workers felt pressured to prioritize production speed over quality and said they did not receive enough training to properly perform their jobs, according to the results of a special investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published Wednesday.

Boeing factory workers felt pressured to prioritize production speed over quality and said they did not receive enough training to properly perform their jobs, according to the results of a special investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published Wednesday. The never-before-disclosed results of a six-week-long FAA special audit are likely to pile more pressure on a company already facing a slew of problems, including questions about the safety of its planes and an ongoing strike by 33,000 union workers, its first in 16 years. In January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max operated by Alaska Airlines shortly after takeoff. Although no one was killed or seriously injured, the incident has sparked numerous federal investigations, one of which revealed the plane had left a Boeing factory without the four bolts needed to hold the door plug in place. Wednesday’s report was made public by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which is due to hold a hearing expected to feature testimony by FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. The “findings reveal the extent of troubling production problems, including Boeing’s struggle to adequately train and equip manufacturing personnel, thoroughly document and control nonconforming parts, and conduct adequate quality inspections,” said the report, which was released to the subcommittee’s members as a memo. Boeing said it is working to make improvements to its production to prioritize safety and quality.