Boeing has reportedly pressured workers to speed up production while ignoring employee complaints about potential safety risks and defective manufacturing according to a New York Times investigation, citing “hundreds of pages of internal emails, corporate documents and federal records.”
The Times reportedly interviewed more than a dozen current and former employees of a Boeing facility producing the 787 Dreamliner and reviewed internal documents revealing “a culture that often valued production speed over quality.”
READ MORE: Boeing CEO: Company Making ‘Steady Progress’ Towards Certifying 737 MAX Software
According to the Times, Boeing workers have filed numerous safety complaints with the federal government over issues ranging from shoddy manufacturing practices to tools and debris being left on planes. The complaints also mention pressure from the company not to report regulatory violations to authorities. The investigation found that Boeing workers have installed faulty parts in planes at the facility, and that some aircraft have even taken test flights with tools and metal shavings inside the engine or tail, creating significant safety risks.
A Boeing spokesperson sent CNBC an internal memo sent today to Boeing employees by Brad Zaback, the vice president and general manager of Boeing’s 787 program.
“A story that posted in today’s New York Times, however, paints a skewed and inaccurate picture of the program and of our team here at Boeing South Carolina. This article features distorted information, rehashing old stories and rumors that have long ago been put to rest,” Zaback wrote.
The report comes as Boeing faces several investigations, including a federal criminal probe, into the certification process for the Boeing 737 Max. All 737 MAX aircraft were grounded worldwide in March after two planes crashed: Indonesia’s Lion Air on 29 October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines on 10 March, which together killed all 346 on board. Boeing also had to freeze more than 4,600 orders for the 737 aircraft.
