Boeing promises design changes after incident with Alaska Airlines jet

Boeing announced on Tuesday that it will implement comprehensive design changes to prevent incidents similar to that of the Alaska Airlines plane earlier this year. This incident plunged the aircraft manufacturer into another crisis, severely damaged its reputation, and threw production into chaos. This commitment was made on the first day of the hearing by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). A Boeing manager expressed hope that the design changes could be implemented within a year and then retrofitted across the entire fleet. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated during the hearing that the company’s safety culture still requires significant improvement. Boeing's inadequate records make it difficult for regulators to determine the exact reasons for the faulty installation of the door stopper that had come loose. Meanwhile, two employees likely involved in the incident have been placed on leave. While Boeing is taking measures to improve quality, production of the MAX aircraft remains restricted. Last month, Boeing announced its plans to repurchase the major supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactures the aircraft fuselages. A company manager noted that, prior to the incident, every fuselage part delivered by Spirit AeroSystems had defects. Also in July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges related to two previous MAX crashes attributed to a design flaw.