Few companies live on the doorstep of life and death. But for airlines and their manufacturers, disaster is always just a breath away. Because of this stark reality, we expect extraordinary care from them. And when they fall short, we heap extraordinary criticism upon them.
Today, Boeing is the last commercial aircraft manufacturer left standing in the U.S.
Established in 1916, it is an American icon which has been built and buttressed by the consolidation of industry stalwarts Rockwell, Hughes and McDonnell Douglass. Globally, it has only one real competitor: Airbus, which is heavily subsidized by the French government. In fact, official French subsidies for Airbus have been the source of thorny trade disputes between the U.S. and Europe for decades. And although the U.S. government buys many planes from Boeing, our patronage comes amid considerable oversight and opposition from Congress.
Last week, Boeing’s CEO, Dave Calhoun, faced Wall Street analysts in a fourth-quarter earnings call, responding to an incident in January in which a door panel on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 fell off midair. He opened with a clear, bold apology.
“I’ll start upfront by apologizing again to Alaska Airlines, to their crew and to their passengers and more broadly, to all of our customers.” Calhoun proceeded to outline what the company will do to make things right. “My focus is on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and the actions we are taking as a company that strengthen quality and earn the confidence of our customers, the confidence of our regulators, and the flying public.”
That followed the previous week’s face-to-face meetings with senators on Capitol Hill and workers in the Boeing factory. Candor and caution have been palpable throughout.
Beyond the many mea culpas, however, the solutions lie in the long term and not just the here and now. Aviation experts are calling for improved safety and quality control measures to be installed immediately. Bringing production back in-house, returning to the tried and true, may be the prudent path forward.
In the world of aviation, it is an axiom that things can and will go wrong. From suppliers, subcontractors and production schedules, making airplanes does not seem to be an exact science. And yet, that is what we all want from airlines and aircraft manufacturers. Such certainty provides passengers and investors with the comfort that all will be well both in the air and on the ground. But surely as night follows day, there will be another unfortunate incident, and it could involve a Boeing plane.
The Alaska Air incident resulted in reputational and equity harm, primarily — thankfully there were no fatalities. Nevertheless, plaintiffs lawyers are lining up the runway with class action and shareholder lawsuits; it appears Boeing will be embroiled in litigation for a while. Its future moves will be scrutinized and second-guessed at every turn by media and members of Congress anxious for answers and antagonists. In the interim, the company’s leadership should rehearse and refine the practice of penance and genuflection.
As an iconic American institution, Boeing needs tough love. In their diligence, the FAA should allow the company as much time as needed to aright the ship. Safety, to be sure, must be paramount. In pursuit of such, Boeing deserves a good measure of patriotic patience and perseverance from Congress and regulators. Policymakers should understand that if Boeing falters or fails, we all lose — consumers, employees, and even investors. And if the company stumbles further, foreign interests will pick up the economic pieces, and they will win.
There has always been competition among aircraft manufacturers. In days gone by, that competition was among American companies and a few Europeans. Today, as in many industries, there are fewer players but the stakes are significantly higher. Boeing’s contribution to America’s economy and defense is immense, and its value to American pride and national interest is immeasurable.
The U.S. government is not in the business of building airplanes. But as Americans, we are all in this together. Whether we fly daily or never board an airplane, every American is invested in, and benefits from, Boeing’s enduring success. In other crises, several legacy banks were considered too big to fail and were bailed out by the government. As the nation’s — and, indeed, the world’s — top commercial aircraft manufacturer, Boeing deserves nothing more and nothing less.
Adonis Hoffman writes on regulation, law and business. He served in senior legal roles in the U.S, House of Representatives, at the FCC and as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.