Latest Boeing Incident Won't Make Bad Reputation Worse, Expert Says

The latest high-profile problem for Boeing probably won’t hurt the company too badly, an aviation expert says.

An external panel flew off on a 25-year-old Boeing 737-800 aircraft travelling from California to Oregon last Friday. No one was injured, but the incident garnered headlines around the world as the latest in a series of Boeing mishaps, the biggest being a large “door plug” that fell off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane over Oregon in January, subjecting passengers to fierce winds inside the cabin.

“I don’t think this panel issue will harm Boeing’s reputation more than it already is,” Toronto-based aviation expert Robert Kokonis said in an email to Open Jaw. “But it won’t help.”

The incidents might make some customers or travel advisors leery of Boeing, but there’s little they can do about it.

“For air travellers, not much can be done to switch aircraft, if they are nervous about these stories, as we live in an aviation world largely dominated by the two major aircraft makers,” said Kokonis, president of AirTrav Inc.

“Numerous incidents happen every day in commercial aviation,” he said. “Unfortunately for Boeing, the hyper focus on the company means that more incidents – both big and small – are finding their way into the public spotlight.

“To be realistic, ‘stuff’ happens with airplanes from the other manufacturers; we just don’t hear about them as often.”

In a story in the Toronto Star on the weekend, business columnist David Olive said Boeing is overhauling its 737 plant in Washington state. But he also noted that Emirates Airline CEO Tim Clark recently suggested Boeing might go out of business if it doesn’t fix its production issues.

It’s strong talk, but in a market that’s essentially dominated by Boeing and Airbus, there’s not a lot of wiggle room for airlines.

The CBC recently noted that “carriers are still negotiating new plane orders, looking to leverage Boeing's delays to secure better terms.”

"Boeing customers don't have much option but to stick with Boeing whether they like it or not," said Scott Hamilton, managing director at aviation consulting firm Leeham Company.

Air Canada said it has no 737-800 planes in its fleet.

The WestJet website shows the airline has 46 737-800 NG aircraft in its fleet.

In an email to Open Jaw, WestJet officials said it has “full confidence in the safety of our fleet and our industry-leading safety standards. With safety as our number one priority, all WestJet aircraft have regularly scheduled maintenance checks compliant with regulations.”