The new year is supposed to be a time of new starts.
But Boeing has found itself facing a familiar PR and crisis media management headache at the beginning of 2024.
The company’s reputation was again forced into a tailspin when part of the fuselage – known as a door plug – tore off while the aircraft was travelling at around 16,000 feet.
No one was injured in the terrifying ordeal, but passengers on the Alaska Airlines flight have recounted struggling to put oxygen masks on and sending goodbye texts to loved ones.
Alaska Airlines flight #AS1282, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, experienced a rapid decompression after the loss of a large panel that included an emergency exit door on the left side of the plane.
— Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) January 6, 2024
The flight made a safe return to Portland (PDX).pic.twitter.com/KH4gs0X4o6
More than 170 planes of the same type have been grounded worldwide as a result.
And safety inspectors at Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have found loose bolts on some grounded 737 Max jetliners – lose parts and airlines do not go well together.
There is also growing industry concern and complaints. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has said Boeing needs to “significantly improve quality control.” And Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airlines said the latest incident was “another manifestation” of quality control issues at the US aerospace giant.
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This is the latest instalment in a damaging and long-running crisis for Boeing that began with two deadly crashes involving its top-selling aircraft - Lion Air Flight 610 (October 2018) and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (March 2019).
The company’s crisis response then was widely criticised and described as inadequate. It lacked the crisis communication fundamentals of timeliness, transparency and empathy.
But things have been better this time.
It moved quickly to acknowledge that something had gone wrong.
It issued a statement saying: “We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
“We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer. A Boeing technical team stands ready to support the investigation."
That’s an excellent example of a holding statement – something we always highlight during our crisis communication - that allows organisations to respond quickly when things go wrong.
Much of that statement could have been prepared in advance, and it would have just required a few factual tweaks ahead of publication.
And it has built on that good start.
It has acknowledged fault - although describing it as a "quality escape" was bizarre and jargony for those of us who don't speak fluent Boeing.
"What is a 'quality escape'?" https://t.co/iYUUvfhQI9
— Kelly Evans (@KellyCNBC) January 10, 2024
We have seen promises of transparency.
Speaking to Boeing staff at an emergency meeting, Boeing's president and chief executive Dave Calhoun, said: "We're going to approach this number one acknowledging our mistake.
“We're going to approach it with 100 per cent and complete transparency every step of the way."
He appeared to fight back tears as he made those comments, adding to the impression that he cares.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun fought back tears when addressing staff, admitting Boeing “must own up to its shortcomings” after the 737 MAX door plug blowout incident. pic.twitter.com/MHOJ1lPWMU
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) January 10, 2024
And there has been plenty of empathy.
Talking about the footage of the incident, he said: “When I got that picture, all I could think about - I didn't know what happened so whoever was supposed to be in the seat next to that hole in the airplane. I've got kids, I've got grandkids and so do you. This stuff matters. Every detail matters."
There has also been reassurance that Boeing will work with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the incident.
He said: "They will get to a conclusion. The FAA [Federal Aviation Authority] who has to now deal with airline customers who want airplanes back in service safely and to ensure all the procedures are put into place, inspections, all the readiness actions that are required to ensure every next airplane that moves into the sky is in fact safe and that this event can never happen again."
So, the company has included much of the CARE (Compassion, Action, Reassurance and Examples) acronym we use during our crisis communication training to help clients get their responses right.
It is worth noting Boeing has also created a dedicated page on its website that it updates with the latest information on the incident – a good crisis communication move.
Alaska Airlines
While Boeing has faced the brunt of the media attention from this episode, it is not the only organisation in the spotlight.
Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet of Max 9s.
And its boss has showed visible leadership and provided a reassuring presence.
Ben Minicucci said: “Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections.
“I am personally committed to doing everything we can to conduct this review in a timely and transparent way.”
But let's get back to Boeing.
Overall, it has made a good start to its response to this crisis.
However, the company will need to maintain this momentum and stick to its transparency promise if it is going to navigate this latest turbulence and rebuild its reputation.
The latest incident compounds the safety and quality concerns and worries that have existed since 2019.
And places fresh scrutiny on claims it has learnt “many hard lessons” and “made fundamental changes” following the two fatal crashes.
According to the Financial Times, the company’s share price remains 50 per cent down on its pre-2019 crisis peak. Additionally, it has debts of $47bn and has not made a profit since 2018.
Meanwhile, its rival Airbus has just reported record annual jet orders.
If Boeing is going to turn that around, regain public support, and convince airlines that its products are up to standard, it must continue to be open about what happened, why it happened, how it can be fixed and the steps it is taking to prevent something similar happening in the future.
And it can't afford anymore 'quality escapes' - either in its aircraft or its crisis response.
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