What’s gone wrong at Boeing

“If it’s not Boeing, I’m not going.” That bygone saying once reinforced the company’s sterling reputation for safety and excellence, but it may need a significant revision to account for this month’s Alaska Airlines debacle and two fatal crashes in recent years. The downward spiral of the global aerospace company started in 1997, when its fateful acquisition of the aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas inverted its priorities.

“Executives from McDonnell Douglas ended up dominating and remaking Boeing,” James Surowiecki writes. “They turned it from a company that was relentlessly focused on product to one more focused on profit.” Power changed hands from engineering and design leaders to money-minded business executives, and this corporate-culture shift is the likely culprit behind the company’s sinking reputation. It’s also the root of what needs to change for Boeing to bounce back.

Today’s newsletter brings you stories about Boeing’s descent.

• “What’s Gone Wrong at Boeing,” by James Surowiecki. Behind the 737 Max’s persistent problems is the erosion of a valuable corporate culture. That will be harder to fix than a loose bolt.
• “A Nightmarish Flight’s Aftermath,” by Lora Kelley. A short flight teetered into near disaster, and eyes are on Boeing—again.
• “The Long-Forgotten Flight That Sent Boeing Off Course,” by Jerry Useem. A company once driven by engineers became driven by finance. (From 2019)
• “How the Bizarre Economics of Airplanes Raises the Stakes of the Boeing Fallout,” by Joe Pinsker. Strange things can happen when a business is based on millions of people flying around in $100 million metal boxes that can take a year to build. (From 2019)
• “Air Travel Is a Disaster Right Now. Here’s Why,” by Derek Thompson. The U.S. seems to suffer from chronic Nothing Works Syndrome. (From 2022)

— Stephanie Bai, associate editor