Today’s key stories center about Boeing’s new CEO and strategy and how air cargo traffic has soared, a plus for Boeing. Kelly Ortberg, in a memo to employees, outlined how the company needs to restore trust, with a more hands-on approach to management to ensure that regulatory compliance, safety, on-time performance, and reliable services and support for existing products. So far, it appears the new CEO is being well received, but a difficult union negotiation in the next quarter is expected.
In other good news for Boeing, the air cargo market, dominated by Boeing who build about 85% of the world’s freighters, is growing at record rates. That bodes well for an area that Boeing has a strong advantage over Airbus and other competitors.
Legal news centered about the plea agreement and why failure is not an option in podcasts from JD Supra. Various theories on how the monitoring of Boeing called for in the agreement will actually occur and whether it will be on party or several experts with specific functional skills in key areas. These issues remain unclear, and must be approved by the judge despite the approval of the DOJ and Boeing.
On the downside, reports are still emerging regarding the NTSB hearings and leaked testimony, including one describing a harrowing aftermath of the Boeing door blowout and another describing the problems at Boeing as long-term and systemic.
Finally, the continuing saga of the Starliner talks about the risks as NASA prepares to make its most important safety decision in nearly a generation. That decision, of course, is whether to return the astronauts on the Boeing Starliner capsule with helium leaks and failed thrusters, or to bring them home on the SpaceX Crew Dragon. We wonder if the astronauts themselves have any input into the decision process impacting their safety?
Links to today’s key stories follow:
- Boeing’s new CEO outlines strategy to rebuild trust and restore status – Aviation Source
- Air Cargo Demand soars in June, record breaking first half – AirInsight
- Corruption, Crime and Compliance: The Boeing plea agreement – JD Supra
- Riskology by Infortal, Episode 30 – Boeing’s failure is not an option – JD Supra
- Leaked testimony reveals harrowing aftermath of Boeing door blowout – The Tribune SLO
- Problems at Boeing long-term, systemic – NW Arkansas Democrat Gazette
- NASA is about to make its most important safety decision in nearly a generation – ars technica
