Boeing in red for third year in a row

The American manufacturer, which records a loss of $ 4.29 billion in 2021, chained the setbacks. Latest date, manufacturing defects on its “dreamliner”.

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Does Boeing still know how to build planes? This is the question, totally iconoclast, which circulates in many specialists in aeronautics. It must be said that for nearly ten years, Seattle’s manufacturer has been chaining the setbacks and errors.

It all started in 2013, with the batteries at all new, at the time, “Dreamliner”, the 787, who had the unfortunate habit of catching fire. These rehearsal incidents led the aviation authorities to prohibit flying the length of Boeing for three months. Since then, the American aircraft manufacturer knows a black series.

In March 2019, it is the turn of the Middle Mail 737 max to be nailed to the ground, this time for more than twenty months. The decision had been made after two air disasters, which caused the death of 346 passengers and crew members.

“A huge reputation problem”

As the trouble, they say, fly in squadron, it is once again the 787 who redone his. Boeing announced, Wednesday, January 26, that he had a provision of $ 3.5 billion (about 3.1 billion euros) in 2021, for manufacturing defects on his “dreamliner”.

These problems had been identified in the summer of 2021. These were manufacturing defects on the connector of a portion of the fuselage, then on the horizontal stabilizer. These defects resulted in the suspension of deliveries for four months. In addition to this provision, the US aircracer also announced, on the occasion of the publication of its 2021 results, which it recorded a loss of $ 4.29 billion. In 2020, Boeing had already announced a $ 11.9 billion hole after “only” 636 million in 2019.

The addition of all these setbacks begins to weigh on the image of the American manufacturer. “There is a huge reputation problem, which focuses on the professionalism and rigor of Boeing, including its business hearts”, such as the design and production of commercial aircraft, says Stéphane Albernhe, president of the board of consulting Archery Strategy Consulting. That’s why, according to him, the aircraft manufacturer has decided to pass a provision of this importance. “They put the package at the financial level. They want to wash more white than white,” adds Mr. Alberhne. Boeing would like to restore its tainted reputation.

preceded by airbus

But this massive provision could not suffice. “The problem is that it starts to last,” continues the boss of the consulting firm. In addition to 787 and 737 max, the future long-haul, 777x, also does hers. He has already accumulated three years late.

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/Media reports.