Boeing is facing a major crisis just five years after two of its planes were involved in deadly crashes. It’s now facing scrutiny from stakeholders, the government and the general public over an incident with its 737 Max 9 plane. A month ago, a flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a door plug fell off during flight, exposing passengers to the open air just outside and a terrifying drop. 

After the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded Max 9 jets but has since allowed them to fly once more. 

The Federal Aviation Administration has decided to pause Boeing’s plans to create more Boeing planes as a result of the incident, and some passengers on the flight have filed suit against the company. Airlines like United Airlines have teased an end to their partnerships with Boeing. 

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, the Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Whitaker testified before a House of Representatives panel and said the agency would increase surveillance surrounding Boeing airplane production. 

It’s bad news for business. 

Boeing reported a $650 million operating loss in the fourth quarter of 2023, blaming production costs. The company has been in hot water for some time, only reporting two profitable quarters since the original two fatal crashes. 

Federal scrutiny is likely to increase, putting more financial strain on the company. In recent days, concerns about manufacturing have arisen, and as Whitaker pledged to turn the Federal Aviation Administration’s watchful eyes full force onto the company, their stocks were dropping due to a new problem. 

The company discovered problems with their 737 Max fuselages and will be forced to delay the delivery of 50 planes in order to correct misdrilled holes. 

How the Federal Aviation Administration continues to react to the Boeing crisis could be indicative of the company’s role in 2024 overall. Boeing’s main competitor is Airbus, a company that’s on the way up, recently becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft. On the military side, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are major competitors with no recent issues. And of course, as with many business issues, Elon Musk has a role to play — SpaceX, Musk’s company, is slowly edging into the space industry, which Boeing has a part of. 

With competitors, crashes and a federal crack-down, things are not looking up for Boeing.