The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-recommends-737-max-simulator-training-before-return-to-service-272832">Federal Aviation Administration</a> (FAA) said on Friday it was seeking to&nbsp;fine&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;Co&nbsp;$5.4&nbsp;million&nbsp;(£4.14&nbsp;million), alleging it failed to prevent the installation of&nbsp;defective&nbsp;parts&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/faa-seeks-39-million-fine-from-boeing-for-defective-parts-on-737-ng-planes-266792">737&nbsp;MAX&nbsp;aeroplanes</a>.

The FAA alleged&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;"failed to adequately oversee its suppliers to ensure they complied with the company's quality assurance system, Boeing&nbsp;knowingly submitted aircraft for final FAA airworthiness certification after determining that the&nbsp;parts&nbsp;could not be used due to a failed strength test."

The FAA proposed a $3.9&nbsp;million&nbsp;civil penalty against&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;for the same issue in December involving 133&nbsp;737&nbsp;NG aeroplanes, which is the prior generation of the&nbsp;737.

The&nbsp;737&nbsp;MAX&nbsp;has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes killed 346 people.&nbsp;Boeing's safety record on a number of issues&nbsp;have come under scrutiny from lawmakers and the FAA.

Watch:&nbsp;The Downfall Of Boeing

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The&nbsp;parts&nbsp;issue is completely unrelated to the crashes,&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;said.

The FAA disclosed in June that about 300 NG and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-prefer-to-download-black-boxes-iran-after-plane-crash-blamed-on-missile-273396">737&nbsp;MAX</a>&nbsp;aeroplanes&nbsp;could contain improperly manufactured&nbsp;parts&nbsp;and said it would require these&nbsp;parts&nbsp;to be quickly replaced.

The&nbsp;parts&nbsp;at issue are tracks on the leading edge of the wings used to guide the movement of slats that provide additional lift during takeoff and landing, the FAA said. The issue could result in a slat striking an aeroplane, potentially resulting in injury to passengers or preventing a safe landing.

The FAA said&nbsp;Boeing's oversight failure "resulted in the installation of slat tracks that were weakened by a condition known as hydrogen embrittlement that occurred during cadmium-titanium plating."

Boeing&nbsp;said Friday it was aware of the proposed penalty and said it has not seen any in-service issues&nbsp;with the&nbsp;parts, which are covered by a service bulletin and airworthiness directive.

"We will ensure that all inspections and any necessary part replacements are performed on all&nbsp;737&nbsp;MAXs before they return to service. We have not been informed of any in-service issues&nbsp;related to the slat tracks themselves,"&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it was seeking to fine Boeing Co $5.4 million (£4.14 million), alleging it failed to prevent the installation of defective parts on 737 MAX aeroplanes.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it was seeking to fine Boeing Co $5.4 million (£4.14 million), alleging it failed to prevent the installation of defective parts on 737 MAX aeroplanes. The FAA alleged Boeing "failed to adequately oversee its suppliers to ensure they complied with the company's quality assurance system, Boeing knowingly submitted aircraft for final FAA airworthiness certification after determining that the parts could not be used due to a failed strength test." The FAA proposed a $3.9 million civil penalty against Boeing for the same issue in December involving 133 737 NG aeroplanes, which is the prior generation of the 737. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. Boeing's safety record on a number of issues have come under scrutiny from lawmakers and the FAA. Watch: The Downfall Of Boeing × The parts issue is completely unrelated to the crashes, Boeing said. The FAA disclosed in June that about 300 NG and 737 MAX aeroplanes could contain improperly manufactured parts and said it would require these parts to be quickly replaced. The parts at issue are tracks on the leading edge of the wings used to guide the movement of slats that provide additional lift during takeoff and landing, the FAA said. The issue could result in a slat striking an aeroplane, potentially resulting in injury to passengers or preventing a safe landing. The FAA said Boeing's oversight failure "resulted in the installation of slat tracks that were weakened by a condition known as hydrogen embrittlement that occurred during cadmium-titanium plating." Boeing said Friday it was aware of the proposed penalty and said it has not seen any in-service issues with the parts, which are covered by a service bulletin and airworthiness directive. "We will ensure that all inspections and any necessary part replacements are performed on all 737 MAXs before they return to service. We have not been informed of any in-service issues related to the slat tracks themselves," Boeing said.

US regulator to fine Boeing $5.4 million for defective parts of 737 MAX planes

Boeing Co's&nbsp;ousted&nbsp;chief executive officer, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-ceo-muilenburg-steps-down-calhoun-to-take-over-duties-starting-january-269812">Dennis Muilenburg</a>, is leaving the company with $62&nbsp;million&nbsp;in compensation and pension benefits but will receive no&nbsp;severance&nbsp;pay&nbsp;in the wake of the 737 MAX crisis.

Muilenburg was fired from the job in December as Boeing failed to contain the fallout from a pair of fatal crashes that halted output of the company's bestselling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/boeing-papers-would-you-put-your-family-on-a-737-max-273413">737 MAX jetliner</a> and tarnished its reputation with airlines and regulators.

The compensation figures were disclosed in a regulatory filing late on Friday during a difficult week for Boeing when it also released hundreds of internal messages, two major issues hanging over the company before new&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/new-boeing-boss-david-calhoun-is-a-tough-minded-veteran-of-crisis-269920">David Calhoun</a> starts on Monday.

Watch:&nbsp;Boeing emails reveal Max 737 designed by clowns

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&nbsp;

The messages contained harshly critical comments about the development of the 737 MAX, including one that said the plane was "designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys."

The 737 MAX has been grounded since March following the second of two crashes that together killed 346 people within a span of five months.

"It is incredibly heart wrenching to see the man at the heart of our loss walk away with a reward," said Zipporah Kuria, whose 55-year-old father from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kenya-four-civilians-killed-in-al-shabaab-gunfight-with-police-on-telecom-mast-272760">Kenya</a> died in the second crash.

Lawmakers also blasted Boeing.

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346 people died. And yet, Dennis Muilenburg pressured regulators and put profits ahead of the safety of passengers, pilots, and flight attendants. He'll walk away with an additional $62.2 million. This is corruption, plain and simple. <a href="https://t.co/3JVeWAVwNo">https://t.co/3JVeWAVwNo</a>
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1215797514122813440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"346 people died. And yet, Dennis Muilenburg pressured regulators and put profits ahead of the safety of passengers, pilots, and flight attendants. He'll walk away with an additional $62.2&nbsp;million. This is corruption, plain and simple," US&nbsp;Senator <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-gives-lawmakers-formal-notice-of-iraq-strike-amid-complaints-from-democrats-272196">Elizabeth Warren</a> said on Twitter.

US&nbsp;Representative<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-recommends-737-max-simulator-training-before-return-to-service-272832"> Peter DeFazio</a>, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said minutes of a June 2013 meeting showed that Boeing sought to avoid expensive training and simulator requirements by misleading regulators about an anti-stall system called MCAS that was later tied to the two crashes that killed 346 people.

The MAX has been grounded since the second crash in March.

Speculation that Muilenburg would be fired had been circulating in the industry for months, intensifying in October when the board stripped him of his chairman's title - although he had also twice won expressions of confidence from Calhoun,&nbsp;Boeing's&nbsp;board chairman.

A turnaround veteran and former General Electric Co executive who has led several companies in crisis, Calhoun will receive a base salary at an annual rate of $1.4&nbsp;million&nbsp;and is eligible for $26.5&nbsp;million&nbsp;in long-term incentive compensation, Boeing said in a filing.

Boeing said in November Muilenburg had volunteered to give up his 2019 bonus and stock awards. For 2018, his bonus and equity awards amounted to some $20&nbsp;million, according to filings.

In addition to the $62&nbsp;million&nbsp;in compensation and pension benefits, Muilenburg holds stock options that vested in 2013, Boeing said. They would be worth $18.5&nbsp;million&nbsp;at the closing price on Friday.

"Upon his departure, Dennis received the benefits to which he was contractually entitled and he did not receive any&nbsp;severance&nbsp;pay&nbsp;or a 2019 annual bonus," Boeing said in a statement.

Boeing Co's ousted chief executive officer, Dennis Muilenburg, is leaving the company with $62 million in compensation and pension benefits but will receive no severance pay in the wake of the 737 MAX crisis.

Boeing Co's ousted chief executive officer, Dennis Muilenburg, is leaving the company with $62 million in compensation and pension benefits but will receive no severance pay in the wake of the 737 MAX crisis. Muilenburg was fired from the job in December as Boeing failed to contain the fallout from a pair of fatal crashes that halted output of the company's bestselling 737 MAX jetliner and tarnished its reputation with airlines and regulators. The compensation figures were disclosed in a regulatory filing late on Friday during a difficult week for Boeing when it also released hundreds of internal messages, two major issues hanging over the company before new CEO David Calhoun starts on Monday. Watch: Boeing emails reveal Max 737 designed by clowns × The messages contained harshly critical comments about the development of the 737 MAX, including one that said the plane was "designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys." The 737 MAX has been grounded since March following the second of two crashes that together killed 346 people within a span of five months. "It is incredibly heart wrenching to see the man at the heart of our loss walk away with a reward," said Zipporah Kuria, whose 55-year-old father from Kenya died in the second crash. Lawmakers also blasted Boeing. 346 people died. And yet, Dennis Muilenburg pressured regulators and put profits ahead of the safety of passengers, pilots, and flight attendants. He'll walk away with an additional $62.2 million. This is corruption, plain and simple. https://t.co/3JVeWAVwNo — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 11, 2020 × "346 people died. And yet, Dennis Muilenburg pressured regulators and put profits ahead of the safety of passengers, pilots, and flight attendants. He'll walk away with an additional $62.2 million. This is corruption, plain and simple," US Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Twitter. US Representative Peter DeFazio, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said minutes of a June 2013 meeting showed that Boeing sought to avoid expensive training and simulator requirements by misleading regulators about an anti-stall system called MCAS that was later tied to the two crashes that killed 346 people. The MAX has been grounded since the second crash in March. Speculation that Muilenburg would be fired had been circulating in the industry for months, intensifying in October when the board stripped him of his chairman's title - although he had also twice won expressions of confidence from Calhoun, Boeing's board chairman. A turnaround veteran and former General Electric Co executive who has led several companies in crisis, Calhoun will receive a base salary at an annual rate of $1.4 million and is eligible for $26.5 million in long-term incentive compensation, Boeing said in a filing. Boeing said in November Muilenburg had volunteered to give up his 2019 bonus and stock awards. For 2018, his bonus and equity awards amounted to some $20 million, according to filings. In addition to the $62 million in compensation and pension benefits, Muilenburg holds stock options that vested in 2013, Boeing said. They would be worth $18.5 million at the closing price on Friday. "Upon his departure, Dennis received the benefits to which he was contractually entitled and he did not receive any severance pay or a 2019 annual bonus," Boeing said in a statement.

Boeing's ousted CEO Dennis Muilenburg leaves company with $62 million but no severance pay

The United States Secretary of State lashed out at Iran saying that he is sure that Iranian missiles shot down the Ukrainian airline which led the killing of 176 people. Watch report: #US #Iran #UkrainianAirline #Boeing #Ukraine

Today Tonight: US lashes out at Iran, levies new sanctions

Boeing has released hundreds of internal messages that contained harshly critical comments about the development of the 737 MAX, including one that said the plane was designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys. Watch video to know more. #Boeing #BoeingEmails # 737MAX #US #Iran #Ukraine

Fineprint: Boeing emails reveal Max 737 designed by clowns

The Boeing Company on Thursday released hundreds of 'internal conversations' between its employees, which mostly shows contempt among its working staff.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-the-fall-of-brand-boeing-268899">WION Edit: The fall of Brand Boeing</a> 
 
A majority of the conversations released show that the company's workers were worried about the 737 MAX rolling off of their factory floors, claiming that the variant of the decades-old 737 was "designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/intelligence-evidence-indicates-boeing-airliner-was-shot-down-by-iranian-surface-to-air-missile-trudeau-273282">Intelligence evidence indicates Boeing airliner was shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missile: Trudeau</a>

The conversations were released as part of documents handed over to the Congressional transportation committee investigating the design and regulatory certification of the aircraft, which since March 13, 2019, has been grounded worldwide.

The 737 MAX was grounded globally after two air accidents killing all 346 souls on board, in five months. The aircraft will remain grounded until investigations are completed.

US Representative Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat who chairs the Congressional committee. Said that “these newly-released emails are incredibly damning.”

“They paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was willing to go to evade scrutiny from regulators, flight crews, and the flying public, even as its employees were sounding alarms internally,” DeFazio said in a statement online.

Among the many messages disclosed by the company, one transcript showed an employee asking a colleague whether the other 'would put their family on a MAX simulator trained aircraft', to which they said that 'they wouldn't'.

The reigns of the Boeing Company on Monday will be taken over by board-member David Calhoun, after the former CEO – Gregory Smith was ousted last month.

These conversations released by the company in a bid to be more 'transparent' have greatly added to the pressure that Calhoun is about to receive, in addition to the pressure of having to overhaul the entire company's work culture.

Boeing was willing to 'skip proper training' and distributed licenses to pilots who had flown older versions of the 737 after a simple simulator training course. This made it a very popular variant of the aircraft and was the reason why so many customers were falling in line to place orders.

The same reason is also why so many internal messages between employees at bowing criticised the aircraft, saying "that we have a senior leadership team that understand very little about the business and yet are driving us to certain objectives ".

The Boeing Company on Thursday released hundreds of 'internal conversations' between its employees, which mostly shows contempt among its working staff. WION Edit: The fall of Brand Boeing A majority of the conversations released show that the company's workers were worried about the 737 MAX rolling off of their factory floors, claiming that the variant of the decades-old 737 was "designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys.

The Boeing Company on Thursday released hundreds of 'internal conversations' between its employees, which mostly shows contempt among its working staff. WION Edit: The fall of Brand Boeing A majority of the conversations released show that the company's workers were worried about the 737 MAX rolling off of their factory floors, claiming that the variant of the decades-old 737 was "designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys." Also read: Intelligence evidence indicates Boeing airliner was shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missile: Trudeau The conversations were released as part of documents handed over to the Congressional transportation committee investigating the design and regulatory certification of the aircraft, which since March 13, 2019, has been grounded worldwide. The 737 MAX was grounded globally after two air accidents killing all 346 souls on board, in five months. The aircraft will remain grounded until investigations are completed. US Representative Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat who chairs the Congressional committee. Said that “these newly-released emails are incredibly damning.” “They paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was willing to go to evade scrutiny from regulators, flight crews, and the flying public, even as its employees were sounding alarms internally,” DeFazio said in a statement online. Among the many messages disclosed by the company, one transcript showed an employee asking a colleague whether the other 'would put their family on a MAX simulator trained aircraft', to which they said that 'they wouldn't'. The reigns of the Boeing Company on Monday will be taken over by board-member David Calhoun, after the former CEO – Gregory Smith was ousted last month. These conversations released by the company in a bid to be more 'transparent' have greatly added to the pressure that Calhoun is about to receive, in addition to the pressure of having to overhaul the entire company's work culture. Boeing was willing to 'skip proper training' and distributed licenses to pilots who had flown older versions of the 737 after a simple simulator training course. This made it a very popular variant of the aircraft and was the reason why so many customers were falling in line to place orders. The same reason is also why so many internal messages between employees at bowing criticised the aircraft, saying "that we have a senior leadership team that understand very little about the business and yet are driving us to certain objectives ".

Boeing papers: Would you put your family on a 737 MAX?

Iranian rescue team on Wednesday found the black boxes of the Ukranian Boeing 737 airline which crashed in Tehran killing all 176 people on board.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/crashed-boeing-underwent-maintenance-checks-2-days-before-accident-ukraine-airline-273006">Also Read: Crashed Boeing underwent maintenance checks 2 days before accident: Ukraine Airline</a>

"The two black boxes of the Ukranian 737 aeroplane that crashed this morning have been found," Iran's civil aviation authority&nbsp;spokesman, Reza Jafarzadeh said.

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The crash amid Boeing grounding its 737 MAX fleet after two crashes last year.

"We are in contact with our airline customers and stand by them in this difficult time. We are ready to assist in any way needed," Boeing said in a statement.

According to reports, the victims included eleven Ukrainians, eighty-two Iranians, sixty-three Canadians. The plane was carrying passengers who were in transit from Ukraine to Europe

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had ordered the country's prosecutor general to open a criminal case into the crash.

The cause of the crash is yet to be known.

Iranian rescue team on Wednesday found the black boxes of the Ukranian Boeing 737 airline which crashed in Tehran killing all 176 people on board. Also Read: Crashed Boeing underwent maintenance checks 2 days before accident: Ukraine Airline "The two black boxes of the Ukranian 737 aeroplane that crashed this morning have been found," Iran's civil aviation authority spokesman, Reza Jafarzadeh said.

Iranian rescue team on Wednesday found the black boxes of the Ukranian Boeing 737 airline which crashed in Tehran killing all 176 people on board. Also Read: Crashed Boeing underwent maintenance checks 2 days before accident: Ukraine Airline "The two black boxes of the Ukranian 737 aeroplane that crashed this morning have been found," Iran's civil aviation authority spokesman, Reza Jafarzadeh said. Watch Video: The crash amid Boeing grounding its 737 MAX fleet after two crashes last year. "We are in contact with our airline customers and stand by them in this difficult time. We are ready to assist in any way needed," Boeing said in a statement. According to reports, the victims included eleven Ukrainians, eighty-two Iranians, sixty-three Canadians. The plane was carrying passengers who were in transit from Ukraine to Europe Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had ordered the country's prosecutor general to open a criminal case into the crash. The cause of the crash is yet to be known.

Iran finds black boxes of crashed Ukranian Boeing 737 airline

The Boeing commercial flight carried 176 people when it crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran's main airport. The crash of Ukraine International Airlines came hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing US soldiers, but both Ukrainian and Iranian officials said they suspected a mechanical issue that brought down the Boeing 737-800 aircraft. There is no clarity on what led to the crash. Amid the tensions with the United States Iran has now refused to hand over the plane black box to the aircraft manufacturer. #PlaneCrash #IranPlaneCrash #FinePrint #US #Iran #Boeing

Fineprint: Iran plane crash, What do we know about the crash

Boeing on Tuesday endorsed simulator training for pilots of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sales-of-grounded-boeing-737-max-gather-pace-at-dubai-airshow-263161">737 MAX</a> prior to resuming flights, a change likely to further delay the aircraft's return to the skies.

The aviation giant, which has been roiled by a nine-month crisis after the plane was grounded following two deadly crashes, described the new stance as reflective of its "unstinting commitment" to safety.

The company previously argued pilots would need only computer-based training, so the announcement was the first major shift in approach since Boeing replaced its chief executive in late December.

But requiring pilots to train on simulators is expected to delay the resumption of commercial flights because of the limited number of MAX simulators available.

Focus now turns to the US Federal Aviation Administration, which previously resisted calls by Canadian and European regulators for the additional pilot training.

The MAX has been grounded since mid-March following the second of the two fatal crashes that together claimed 346 lives.

Boeing and the FAA have drawn intense criticism for their handling of the crisis as well as the process for certifying the plane to fly.

"Safety is Boeing's top priority," the company's acting Chief Executive Greg Smith said in a statement.

"Public, customer and stakeholder confidence in the 737 MAX is critically important to us and with that focus Boeing has decided to recommend MAX simulator training combined with computer-based training for all pilots prior to returning the MAX safely to service."

An FAA spokesman said the agency will consider Boeing's advice during an upcoming meeting involving a board of US and foreign air carrier crews that will help inform the agency's official recommendation before it is opened for public comment.

"The FAA is following a thorough process, not a set timeline, to ensure that any design modifications to the 737 MAX are integrated with appropriate training and procedures," the FAA spokesman said.

Michel Merluzeau, an aviation expert at Air Insight Research, said requiring simulator training would extend the delay before flights resume, but the step was essentially inevitable.

"It's a common-sense decision," Merluzeau told AFP. "It's something that shows that they are being very careful and not taking any shortcuts to speed the MAX's return to service."

US Representative <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/united-states-lawmakers-will-press-boeing-ceo-on-day-two-of-testimony-258870">Peter DeFazio</a>, an Oregon Democrat who is leading a congressional probe of the MAX crashes, said simulator training was the right decision but "it's remarkable that it took two deadly crashes, numerous investigations and untold public pressure before Boeing arrived at this decision."

The debate over training requirements has loomed as an open question as Boeing worked on new software to address a problem with a flight handling system linked to both crashes.

The FAA also has raised additional concerns against a backdrop of intensifying public and congressional scrutiny.

Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, who famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson River in New York in 2009, forcefully endorsed simulator training in a July congressional hearing, saying "reading about it on an iPad is not even close to sufficient."

A Boeing spokesman said Tuesday there are currently 34 MAX simulators around the world, 26 owned by airline operators and eight owned by Boeing.

That is a fraction of the 387 planes already delivered and roughly 400 additional planes that have been built and stored since the regulators worldwide grounded the MAX in March.

One option that has been discussed would be to conduct training through an updated simulator for Boeing's 737 NG, a predecessor to the MAX.

Southwest Airlines, which has the most MAX planes in service, has three simulators in "various stages of FAA certification, and we expect to receive an additional three simulators in late 2020," a spokeswoman said.

Having insisted that simulator training was not necessary, Boeing had promised Southwest rebate of $1 million per-plane if simulator training was needed, a source told AFP last year.

An American Airlines spokesman said the carrier has one simulator, while United Airlines has one MAX simulator and three on order, a spokesman said.

In December, Boeing ousted Dennis Muilenburg as chief executive and tapped long-time board member <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/new-boeing-boss-david-calhoun-is-a-tough-minded-veteran-of-crisis-269920">David Calhoun</a> who takes over on January 13.

Boeing's share price gained ground on the news and finished up 1.1 per cent at $337.28.

Boeing on Tuesday endorsed simulator training for pilots of the 737 MAX prior to resuming flights, a change likely to further delay the aircraft's return to the skies.

Boeing on Tuesday endorsed simulator training for pilots of the 737 MAX prior to resuming flights, a change likely to further delay the aircraft's return to the skies. The aviation giant, which has been roiled by a nine-month crisis after the plane was grounded following two deadly crashes, described the new stance as reflective of its "unstinting commitment" to safety. The company previously argued pilots would need only computer-based training, so the announcement was the first major shift in approach since Boeing replaced its chief executive in late December. But requiring pilots to train on simulators is expected to delay the resumption of commercial flights because of the limited number of MAX simulators available. Focus now turns to the US Federal Aviation Administration, which previously resisted calls by Canadian and European regulators for the additional pilot training. The MAX has been grounded since mid-March following the second of the two fatal crashes that together claimed 346 lives. Boeing and the FAA have drawn intense criticism for their handling of the crisis as well as the process for certifying the plane to fly. "Safety is Boeing's top priority," the company's acting Chief Executive Greg Smith said in a statement. "Public, customer and stakeholder confidence in the 737 MAX is critically important to us and with that focus Boeing has decided to recommend MAX simulator training combined with computer-based training for all pilots prior to returning the MAX safely to service." An FAA spokesman said the agency will consider Boeing's advice during an upcoming meeting involving a board of US and foreign air carrier crews that will help inform the agency's official recommendation before it is opened for public comment. "The FAA is following a thorough process, not a set timeline, to ensure that any design modifications to the 737 MAX are integrated with appropriate training and procedures," the FAA spokesman said. Michel Merluzeau, an aviation expert at Air Insight Research, said requiring simulator training would extend the delay before flights resume, but the step was essentially inevitable. "It's a common-sense decision," Merluzeau told AFP. "It's something that shows that they are being very careful and not taking any shortcuts to speed the MAX's return to service." US Representative Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat who is leading a congressional probe of the MAX crashes, said simulator training was the right decision but "it's remarkable that it took two deadly crashes, numerous investigations and untold public pressure before Boeing arrived at this decision." The debate over training requirements has loomed as an open question as Boeing worked on new software to address a problem with a flight handling system linked to both crashes. The FAA also has raised additional concerns against a backdrop of intensifying public and congressional scrutiny. Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, who famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson River in New York in 2009, forcefully endorsed simulator training in a July congressional hearing, saying "reading about it on an iPad is not even close to sufficient." A Boeing spokesman said Tuesday there are currently 34 MAX simulators around the world, 26 owned by airline operators and eight owned by Boeing. That is a fraction of the 387 planes already delivered and roughly 400 additional planes that have been built and stored since the regulators worldwide grounded the MAX in March. One option that has been discussed would be to conduct training through an updated simulator for Boeing's 737 NG, a predecessor to the MAX. Southwest Airlines, which has the most MAX planes in service, has three simulators in "various stages of FAA certification, and we expect to receive an additional three simulators in late 2020," a spokeswoman said. Having insisted that simulator training was not necessary, Boeing had promised Southwest rebate of $1 million per-plane if simulator training was needed, a source told AFP last year. An American Airlines spokesman said the carrier has one simulator, while United Airlines has one MAX simulator and three on order, a spokesman said. In December, Boeing ousted Dennis Muilenburg as chief executive and tapped long-time board member David Calhoun who takes over on January 13. Boeing's share price gained ground on the news and finished up 1.1 per cent at $337.28.

Boeing recommends 737 MAX simulator training before return to service

Global aviation giant Boeing has said it will reassign 3,000 workers to other jobs as it halts production of the grounded best-selling 737 MAX jet in mid-January. #Boeing #GlobalAviationGiant

Fineprint: Boeing 737 Max staff to be reassigned

Boeing revealed on Sunday that it was reviewing a wiring issue which could have led to cause a short circuit of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/airbus-beats-goal-with-863-jet-deliveries-in-2019-ousts-boeing-from-top-spot-271445">737 MAX aircraft</a>.

"Identified this issue as part of that rigorous process, and we are working with the FAA to perform the appropriate analysis. It would be premature to speculate as to whether this analysis will lead to any design changes," Boeing's spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

According to the New York Times, the beleaguered US aircraft company was looking into whether the wiring was&nbsp;bundled too close to each other.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the agency and company was "analysing certain findings from a recent review of the proposed modifications to the Boeing 737 MAX."

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The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has been grounded since March last year. The crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within five months had killed 346 people leading to the worldwide grounding of the aircraft. In September, Boeing had cut production of the 737 MAX from 52 to 42 per month due to the grounding.

The aircraft company has since replaced Muilenburg and appointed David Calhoun, 62, as the CEO to repair the damage to the company. Boeing temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years although it said it won't be laying off employees during the production freeze.

The production setback has already cost the company over $9 billion so far.

Boeing had said earlier that dozens of 737NG planes, the successor aircraft of 737 MAX were grounded as a result of the MAX crashes. Australian national carrier Qantas had said that it had found cracks in at least three 737NGs.

In July, Boeing had reported second-quarter loss of $2.9 billion as revenues tumbled 35.1 per cent to $15.8 billion amid the grounding of the aircraft.

Boeing revealed on Sunday that it was reviewing a wiring issue which could have led to cause a short circuit of the 737 MAX aircraft. "Identified this issue as part of that rigorous process, and we are working with the FAA to perform the appropriate analysis.

Boeing revealed on Sunday that it was reviewing a wiring issue which could have led to cause a short circuit of the 737 MAX aircraft. "Identified this issue as part of that rigorous process, and we are working with the FAA to perform the appropriate analysis. It would be premature to speculate as to whether this analysis will lead to any design changes," Boeing's spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. According to the New York Times, the beleaguered US aircraft company was looking into whether the wiring was bundled too close to each other. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the agency and company was "analysing certain findings from a recent review of the proposed modifications to the Boeing 737 MAX." Watch Video: The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has been grounded since March last year. The crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within five months had killed 346 people leading to the worldwide grounding of the aircraft. In September, Boeing had cut production of the 737 MAX from 52 to 42 per month due to the grounding. The aircraft company has since replaced Muilenburg and appointed David Calhoun, 62, as the CEO to repair the damage to the company. Boeing temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years although it said it won't be laying off employees during the production freeze. The production setback has already cost the company over $9 billion so far. Boeing had said earlier that dozens of 737NG planes, the successor aircraft of 737 MAX were grounded as a result of the MAX crashes. Australian national carrier Qantas had said that it had found cracks in at least three 737NGs. In July, Boeing had reported second-quarter loss of $2.9 billion as revenues tumbled 35.1 per cent to $15.8 billion amid the grounding of the aircraft.

'Design flaw' in Boeing? 737 MAX aircraft wiring under lens

Airbus has become the world's largest planemaker for the first time since 2011 after delivering a forecast-beating 863 aircraft in 2019, seizing the crown from embattled US&nbsp;rival Boeing, airport and tracking sources said on Wednesday.

A reversal in the pecking order between the two giants had been expected as a crisis over Boeing's grounded 737 MAX drags into 2020. But the record European data further underscores the distance Boeing must travel to recoup its market position.

Airbus, which had been forced by its own industrial problems to cut its 2019 delivery goal by 2-3 per cent&nbsp;in October, deployed extra resources until hours before midnight to reach 863 aircraft for the year, compared with its revised target of 860 jets.

Deliveries rose 7.9 per cent&nbsp;from 800 aircraft in 2018.

Airbus declined to comment on the figures, which must be audited before they can be finalised and published.

Planemakers receive most of their revenues when aircraft are delivered - minus accumulated progress payments - so the end-year delivery performance is closely monitored by investors.

Airbus's tally, which included around 640 single-aisle aircraft, broke industry records after it diverted thousands of workers and cancelled holidays to complete a buffer stock of semi-finished aircraft waiting to have their cabins adjusted.

Airbus has been hit by delays in fitting the complex new layouts on A321neo jets assembled in Hamburg, Germany, resulting in dozens of these and other models being stored in hangars to await last-minute configurations and the arrival of more labour.

Such out-of-sequence work drives up costs and could have a modest impact on Airbus profit margins, but the impact will be largely blunted by the high volume of planes and already solid profitability for such single-aisle aircraft, analysts say.

Still, the problems in fitting complex cabins have curtailed Airbus's ability to take advantage of the market turmoil surrounding Boeing's 737 MAX - grounded since March following two fatal accidents.

Boeing delivered 345 mainly long-haul jets between January and November, less than half the number of 704 achieved in the same period of 2018 when the MAX was being delivered normally. For the whole of 2018, Boeing had delivered 806 aircraft.

Airbus production plants traditionally halt over Christmas and New Year. But the company's delivery centres and completion facilities were humming well into the afternoon of New Year's Eve to allow Asian and other airlines to fly away new jets.

Airbus has become the world's largest planemaker for the first time since 2011 after delivering a forecast-beating 863 aircraft in 2019, seizing the crown from embattled US rival Boeing, airport and tracking sources said on Wednesday.

Airbus has become the world's largest planemaker for the first time since 2011 after delivering a forecast-beating 863 aircraft in 2019, seizing the crown from embattled US rival Boeing, airport and tracking sources said on Wednesday. A reversal in the pecking order between the two giants had been expected as a crisis over Boeing's grounded 737 MAX drags into 2020. But the record European data further underscores the distance Boeing must travel to recoup its market position. Airbus, which had been forced by its own industrial problems to cut its 2019 delivery goal by 2-3 per cent in October, deployed extra resources until hours before midnight to reach 863 aircraft for the year, compared with its revised target of 860 jets. Deliveries rose 7.9 per cent from 800 aircraft in 2018. Airbus declined to comment on the figures, which must be audited before they can be finalised and published. Planemakers receive most of their revenues when aircraft are delivered - minus accumulated progress payments - so the end-year delivery performance is closely monitored by investors. Airbus's tally, which included around 640 single-aisle aircraft, broke industry records after it diverted thousands of workers and cancelled holidays to complete a buffer stock of semi-finished aircraft waiting to have their cabins adjusted. Airbus has been hit by delays in fitting the complex new layouts on A321neo jets assembled in Hamburg, Germany, resulting in dozens of these and other models being stored in hangars to await last-minute configurations and the arrival of more labour. Such out-of-sequence work drives up costs and could have a modest impact on Airbus profit margins, but the impact will be largely blunted by the high volume of planes and already solid profitability for such single-aisle aircraft, analysts say. Still, the problems in fitting complex cabins have curtailed Airbus's ability to take advantage of the market turmoil surrounding Boeing's 737 MAX - grounded since March following two fatal accidents. Boeing delivered 345 mainly long-haul jets between January and November, less than half the number of 704 achieved in the same period of 2018 when the MAX was being delivered normally. For the whole of 2018, Boeing had delivered 806 aircraft. Airbus production plants traditionally halt over Christmas and New Year. But the company's delivery centres and completion facilities were humming well into the afternoon of New Year's Eve to allow Asian and other airlines to fly away new jets.

Airbus beats goal with 863 jet deliveries in 2019, ousts Boeing from top spot

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-ceo-muilenburg-steps-down-calhoun-to-take-over-duties-starting-january-269812">Boeing</a>&nbsp;Co&nbsp;documents&nbsp;under review by a&nbsp;US&nbsp;congressional panel appear to point to a "very disturbing" picture of commentary from the planemaker's&nbsp;employees over the grounded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-the-fall-of-brand-boeing-268899">737&nbsp;MAX&nbsp;aircraft</a>, a congressional&nbsp;aide&nbsp;said on Tuesday.

The&nbsp;documents&nbsp;were submitted to the&nbsp;House&nbsp;of Representatives transportation infrastructure committee and the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, the same day&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;announced the firing of chief executive Dennis Muilenburg amid a crisis over the handling of the aftermath of two fatal crashes.

Also Watch:&nbsp;Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg Resigns

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The best-selling&nbsp;737&nbsp;MAX&nbsp;has been grounded since March. The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-suspends-production-of-737-max-model-after-two-crashes-268607">crashes</a> in Indonesia and Ethiopia within five months killed 346 people.

"Similar to other records previously disclosed by&nbsp;Boeing, the records appear to point to a very disturbing picture of both&nbsp;concerns&nbsp;expressed by&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;employees about the company’s commitment to safety and efforts by some&nbsp;employees" to make sure&nbsp;Boeing’s production plans were not disrupted, said the&nbsp;aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Boeing&nbsp;said in a statement that it "proactively brought these communications to the FAA and Congress as part of our commitment to transparency with our regulators and the oversight committees."

The tone and content "does not reflect the company we are and need to be,"&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;said.

"We have made <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/new-boeing-boss-david-calhoun-is-a-tough-minded-veteran-of-crisis-269920">significant changes</a> as a company in the past nine months to enhance our safety processes, organizations, and culture."

The company said on Monday that&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;board chairman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-ousts-airliner-chief-as-737-max-crisis-grows-257742">David Calhoun</a>, 62, a former General Electric executive who has been on the board since 2009 would take over from Muilenburg as CEO and president from January&nbsp;13.

The latest batch of&nbsp;documents&nbsp;submitted to the FAA contained instant messages from a former&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;senior pilot, Mark Forkner, according to a person briefed on the matter.

In October,&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;turned over 2016 messages to the FAA between Forkner and another pilot that said he might have unintentionally misled the&nbsp;US&nbsp;regulator and raised questions about the performance of a key safety system during testing.

Boeing&nbsp;had earlier turned over the&nbsp;documents&nbsp;to the Justice Department, which has an active criminal investigation underway into matters related to the&nbsp;737&nbsp;MAX&nbsp;plane.

Boeing&nbsp;is struggling to mend relations with&nbsp;US&nbsp;and international regulators it needs to win over to get the jet back in the air.

Boeing&nbsp;shares, which have dropped more than 20 per cent&nbsp;over the past nine months, closed down 1.3 per cent&nbsp;to $333 on Tuesday.

Boeing Co documents under review by a US congressional panel appear to point to a "very disturbing" picture of commentary from the planemaker's employees over the grounded 737 MAX aircraft, a congressional aide said on Tuesday.

Boeing Co documents under review by a US congressional panel appear to point to a "very disturbing" picture of commentary from the planemaker's employees over the grounded 737 MAX aircraft, a congressional aide said on Tuesday. The documents were submitted to the House of Representatives transportation infrastructure committee and the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, the same day Boeing announced the firing of chief executive Dennis Muilenburg amid a crisis over the handling of the aftermath of two fatal crashes. Also Watch: Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg Resigns × The best-selling 737 MAX has been grounded since March. The crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within five months killed 346 people. "Similar to other records previously disclosed by Boeing, the records appear to point to a very disturbing picture of both concerns expressed by Boeing employees about the company’s commitment to safety and efforts by some employees" to make sure Boeing’s production plans were not disrupted, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Boeing said in a statement that it "proactively brought these communications to the FAA and Congress as part of our commitment to transparency with our regulators and the oversight committees." The tone and content "does not reflect the company we are and need to be," Boeing said. "We have made significant changes as a company in the past nine months to enhance our safety processes, organizations, and culture." The company said on Monday that Boeing board chairman David Calhoun, 62, a former General Electric executive who has been on the board since 2009 would take over from Muilenburg as CEO and president from January 13. The latest batch of documents submitted to the FAA contained instant messages from a former Boeing senior pilot, Mark Forkner, according to a person briefed on the matter. In October, Boeing turned over 2016 messages to the FAA between Forkner and another pilot that said he might have unintentionally misled the US regulator and raised questions about the performance of a key safety system during testing. Boeing had earlier turned over the documents to the Justice Department, which has an active criminal investigation underway into matters related to the 737 MAX plane. Boeing is struggling to mend relations with US and international regulators it needs to win over to get the jet back in the air. Boeing shares, which have dropped more than 20 per cent over the past nine months, closed down 1.3 per cent to $333 on Tuesday.

US House Aide: New Boeing 737 MAX documents show 'very disturbing' employee concerns

The World is One News, WION examines global issues with in-depth analysis. We provide much more than the news of the day. Our aim is to empower people to explore their world. #WION #WIONSpeedNews #Boeing #BoeingCEO #Russia #Moscow #India #NPR #Donald Trump

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - December 25, 2019

Boeing announced that Dennis Muilenburg resigned from his position as CEO and Board Director at Boeing. The current Chairman, David L. Calhoun, will be the next CEO and President of Boeing from January 13, 2020. This development comes after CEO Muilenburg was removed from his position as Chairman of the Board. #BoeingCEO #BoeingCEOResigns #MuilenburgResigns

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg Resigns

The World is One News, WION examines global issues with in-depth analysis. We provide much more than the news of the day. Our aim is to empower people to explore their world. #WION #WIONSpeedNews #Boeing #BoeingCEO #Russia #Moscow

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - December 24, 2019

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-starliner-returning-to-earth-early-after-mission-failure-269557">Boeing</a> CEO Muilenburg stepped down today, with David Calhoun being named as the new CEO of the company.

In October 2019, Calhoun was elected as the non-executive chairman of the company.

Effective January 13, 2020, Calhoun will take over the duties of CEO and the President.

Earlier, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/boeing-supplier-employees-anxious-as-company-halts-737-max-production-269046">Boeing Co</a> had temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years.

Boeing made the announcement as the planemaker's best-selling MAX has been involved in two fatal crashes, reports said.&nbsp;

Watch: The downfall of Boeing

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Boeing, which builds the 737 south of Seattle, said it will not lay off any employees during the production freeze, though the move could have repercussions across its global supply chain and the US economy.

The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people within five months, costing the plane manufacturer more than $9 billion so far.

Until now <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-the-fall-of-brand-boeing-268899">Boeing has continued</a> to produce 737 MAX jets at a rate of 42 per month and purchase parts from suppliers at a rate of up to 52 units per month, even though deliveries are frozen until regulators approve the aircraft to fly commercially again.

(With inputs from agencies)

Boeing CEO Muilenburg stepped down today, with David Calhoun being named as the new CEO of the company. In October 2019, Calhoun was elected as the non-executive chairman of the company.

Boeing CEO Muilenburg stepped down today, with David Calhoun being named as the new CEO of the company. In October 2019, Calhoun was elected as the non-executive chairman of the company. Effective January 13, 2020, Calhoun will take over the duties of CEO and the President. Earlier, Boeing Co had temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years. Boeing made the announcement as the planemaker's best-selling MAX has been involved in two fatal crashes, reports said. Watch: The downfall of Boeing Boeing, which builds the 737 south of Seattle, said it will not lay off any employees during the production freeze, though the move could have repercussions across its global supply chain and the US economy. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people within five months, costing the plane manufacturer more than $9 billion so far. Until now Boeing has continued to produce 737 MAX jets at a rate of 42 per month and purchase parts from suppliers at a rate of up to 52 units per month, even though deliveries are frozen until regulators approve the aircraft to fly commercially again. (With inputs from agencies)

Boeing CEO Muilenburg steps down, Calhoun to take over duties starting January

Boeing's new&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;spacecraft will return to&nbsp;Earth&nbsp;on Sunday, six days&nbsp;early,&nbsp;after&nbsp;a clock problem prevented a rendezvous with the International Space Station, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chandrayaan-2-nasa-satellite-finds-indias-vikram-moon-lander-releases-images-of-impact-site-265811">NASA</a> and the aerospace giant confirmed Saturday.

The uncrewed&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;capsule is now scheduled to land Sunday at 05:47 am at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The capsule is currently in a low, 250-kilometre&nbsp;orbit.&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;engineers are programming it to re-enter the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.&nbsp;

Parachutes will slow its descent, and huge airbags will be deployed to cushion its desert landing.

Starliner's&nbsp;failure&nbsp;was the latest serious setback for&nbsp;Boeing, which is still reeling from two fatal crashes of its 737 Max airliner. The crashes, in October 2018 in Indonesia and in March 2019 in Ethiopia, claimed a total of 346 lives.

The aerospace company plans to suspend production of the plane in January.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas -&nbsp;NASA To Welcome Supersonic Commercial Travel

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Too much propellant burned

The&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;capsule was launched Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, but shortly&nbsp;after&nbsp;separating from its Atlas V launch rocket its thrusters failed to activate as planned, preventing it from reaching an orbit high enough to meet up with the ISS.

The space station orbits at an altitude of about 400 kilometres above sea level.&nbsp;

After&nbsp;calculating that the craft had burned too much propellant for several minutes -- owing to a clock problem --&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;and NASA determined that the&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;would have to return to&nbsp;Earth&nbsp;without fulfilling its planned&nbsp;mission.

Jim Chilton, senior vice president of&nbsp;Boeing's space and launch division, told reporters that "we started the clock at the wrong time."

The craft, assuming it was at a different stage of its flight, burned much more propellant than it should have.

NASA finds a bright side

The flight,&nbsp;carrying only a dummy into space,&nbsp;was meant to be a final dress rehearsal before a crewed flight.&nbsp;

But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine insisted that the&nbsp;mission&nbsp;was not a complete&nbsp;failure.

"The NASA team and the&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;team have been working&nbsp;hand in glove to accomplish as many of the test objectives as we can," he said.

Thus,&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;was able to establish a communications link with the ISS, and to test in space its docking mechanism as well as its solar panels, batteries, thrusters and heat regulation system.

Chilton said the vehicle's status is "really excellent."

But a major test awaits:&nbsp;Starliner's landing Sunday in the New Mexico desert,&nbsp;one of the most dangerous phases for any space&nbsp;mission, particularly when the vehicle is designed to transport astronauts.

Starliner&nbsp;is set to re-enter the atmosphere at 25 times the speed of sound. Its thermal shield will have to resist the intense heat created by friction with the atmosphere, and its three parachutes will have to deploy correctly.&nbsp;

In a test in November only two parachutes opened, although they proved sufficient for the landing.

"The entry, descent and landing is not for the faint of heart," Chilton said.&nbsp;

NASA will have to decide whether to carry out another test flight or to trust that the vehicle is safe to carry astronauts.&nbsp;

Starliner's first crewed flight had been scheduled for&nbsp;early&nbsp;2020 -- no specific date has been announced -- a much-anticipated development ever since NASA sent up its last space shuttle in 2011. &nbsp;

Another vehicle, the Crew Dragon, has been developed by SpaceX corporation for NASA. It is expected to be ready for launch in the next several months.

NASA has committed to pay $8 billion to&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;and SpaceX, which in return are to deliver six trips carrying four astronauts each from now to 2024.

Boeing's new Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth on Sunday, six days early, after a clock problem prevented a rendezvous with the International Space Station, NASA and the aerospace giant confirmed Saturday.

Boeing's new Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth on Sunday, six days early, after a clock problem prevented a rendezvous with the International Space Station, NASA and the aerospace giant confirmed Saturday. The uncrewed Starliner capsule is now scheduled to land Sunday at 05:47 am at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The capsule is currently in a low, 250-kilometre orbit. Boeing engineers are programming it to re-enter the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Parachutes will slow its descent, and huge airbags will be deployed to cushion its desert landing. Starliner's failure was the latest serious setback for Boeing, which is still reeling from two fatal crashes of its 737 Max airliner. The crashes, in October 2018 in Indonesia and in March 2019 in Ethiopia, claimed a total of 346 lives. The aerospace company plans to suspend production of the plane in January. Watch: Gravitas - NASA To Welcome Supersonic Commercial Travel Too much propellant burned The Starliner capsule was launched Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, but shortly after separating from its Atlas V launch rocket its thrusters failed to activate as planned, preventing it from reaching an orbit high enough to meet up with the ISS. The space station orbits at an altitude of about 400 kilometres above sea level. After calculating that the craft had burned too much propellant for several minutes -- owing to a clock problem -- Boeing and NASA determined that the Starliner would have to return to Earth without fulfilling its planned mission. Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Boeing's space and launch division, told reporters that "we started the clock at the wrong time." The craft, assuming it was at a different stage of its flight, burned much more propellant than it should have. NASA finds a bright side The flight, carrying only a dummy into space, was meant to be a final dress rehearsal before a crewed flight. But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine insisted that the mission was not a complete failure. "The NASA team and the Boeing team have been working hand in glove to accomplish as many of the test objectives as we can," he said. Thus, Starliner was able to establish a communications link with the ISS, and to test in space its docking mechanism as well as its solar panels, batteries, thrusters and heat regulation system. Chilton said the vehicle's status is "really excellent." But a major test awaits: Starliner's landing Sunday in the New Mexico desert, one of the most dangerous phases for any space mission, particularly when the vehicle is designed to transport astronauts. Starliner is set to re-enter the atmosphere at 25 times the speed of sound. Its thermal shield will have to resist the intense heat created by friction with the atmosphere, and its three parachutes will have to deploy correctly. In a test in November only two parachutes opened, although they proved sufficient for the landing. "The entry, descent and landing is not for the faint of heart," Chilton said. NASA will have to decide whether to carry out another test flight or to trust that the vehicle is safe to carry astronauts. Starliner's first crewed flight had been scheduled for early 2020 -- no specific date has been announced -- a much-anticipated development ever since NASA sent up its last space shuttle in 2011. Another vehicle, the Crew Dragon, has been developed by SpaceX corporation for NASA. It is expected to be ready for launch in the next several months. NASA has committed to pay $8 billion to Boeing and SpaceX, which in return are to deliver six trips carrying four astronauts each from now to 2024.

Boeing Starliner returning to Earth early after mission failure

<a href="Boeing 737MAX 8 jets stands idle at the company's delivery centre, just south of Seattle. It's one of an estimated four hundred 737MAX's stored in Seattle, many in a Boeing employee parking lot, as well as at airfields across the country.">Boeing</a>&nbsp;had hoped that the Federal Aviation Administration would re-certify the aircraft, grounded after two deadly crashes, by the end of the year. With a heavy order book, they kept producing the plane, albeit at a lower rate than before.

But when it became clear that re-certification and the lifting of the grounding order could still be months away,&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;announced they would stop&nbsp;production&nbsp;sometime in January, with 12,000 workers employed producing the aircraft being re-deployed to other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-the-fall-of-brand-boeing-268899">Boeing</a>&nbsp;manufacturing plants.

The news that no&nbsp;employees&nbsp;will be laid off when the&nbsp;production&nbsp;lines stops in January was welcomed by Jon Holden, President of the trade union representing factory floor workers.

"I think it was the right decision&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;made, to maintain our workforce during this temporary&nbsp;production&nbsp;stoppage. The reality is that it's important to maintain our workforce so that when the grounding is lifted, we're able to ramp up&nbsp;production, build a safe aircraft, meet the needs of the customers with the&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;going forward," Holden said on Wednesday (December 18).

For workers on the&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;production&nbsp;line at the Boeing&nbsp;Renton plant, the news came as a relief just before the Christmas holiday, but aviation analyst Scott Hamilton says the announcement of no lay-offs came with a caveat.

"Well, there's obviously still uncertainty because what&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;said was they aren't going to furlough, quote, "at this time", unquote. So how long does that mean?" said Hamilton, adding "Obviously,&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;maintaining the employee payroll at this point, before the holiday, is a real relief and committing to pay the bonuses that were earned, is a real relief to the&nbsp;employees&nbsp;but what does the end of "at this time" look like? We just don't know."

For the many small aerospace component manufacturers who supply parts for the&nbsp;737MAX, the immediate future is less certain. Its been reported that&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;has not contacted them as&nbsp;yet, with details of the&nbsp;production&nbsp;stoppage.

WATCH: Gravitas: The Downfall Of Boeing

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&nbsp;

Thousands of other jobs are dependent upon&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;contracts, as Scott Hamilton describes, "You have a supply chain outside Boeing&nbsp;that is going to be affected. We're still trying to understand what that effect is going to be. There haven't been any public announcement by&nbsp;Boeing. There have been some stories reported that they're going to try to keep some&nbsp;suppliers whole, if you will, or at least sustainable. Other&nbsp;suppliers, we just don't know."

And it won't just be manufacturing that might be affected if the&nbsp;production&nbsp;shutdown lasts very long, or if jobs in the component sector are furloughed. The local economy is heavily reliant upon wages paid by&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;and its parts'&nbsp;suppliers.

For now&nbsp;Boeing's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/boeings-crisis-management-all-wrong-heres-what-a-company-needs-to-do-to-restore-the-publics-trust-205702">workers</a> are still clocking in at the Renton plant, but their union representative says the nine months since the&nbsp;737MAX&nbsp;was grounded has been hard on them.

"Our members care deeply about the work they perform, and they perform it in a fashion to build a safe aircraft. They are proud of the work they do. They are proud of the aircraft that they build, and it certainly has caused a lot of anxiety over these last several months," said Holden.

As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sales-of-grounded-boeing-737-max-gather-pace-at-dubai-airshow-263161">737MAX</a>'s await re-certification and delivery to the airlines that ordered them, Scott Hamilton believes that the impact of the&nbsp;production&nbsp;shutdown could be felt much more widely than just in the Seattle region if it goes on beyond a few weeks.

"I think you're looking at two to three months, would be my forecast. If it goes on to six months, boy, you're going to see&nbsp;employees&nbsp;furloughed without pay. You're going to see a ripple effect down through the supply chain. You're going to see a ripple effect through the US economy."

For now these multi-million dollar aircraft stand idle, mothballed in a parking lot while their fate is being decided by aviation regulators in the United States and around the world.

Boeing had hoped that the Federal Aviation Administration would re-certify the aircraft, grounded after two deadly crashes, by the end of the year. With a heavy order book, they kept producing the plane, albeit at a lower rate than before.

Boeing had hoped that the Federal Aviation Administration would re-certify the aircraft, grounded after two deadly crashes, by the end of the year. With a heavy order book, they kept producing the plane, albeit at a lower rate than before. But when it became clear that re-certification and the lifting of the grounding order could still be months away, Boeing announced they would stop production sometime in January, with 12,000 workers employed producing the aircraft being re-deployed to other Boeing manufacturing plants. The news that no employees will be laid off when the production lines stops in January was welcomed by Jon Holden, President of the trade union representing factory floor workers. "I think it was the right decision Boeing made, to maintain our workforce during this temporary production stoppage. The reality is that it's important to maintain our workforce so that when the grounding is lifted, we're able to ramp up production, build a safe aircraft, meet the needs of the customers with the 737MAX going forward," Holden said on Wednesday (December 18). For workers on the 737MAX production line at the Boeing Renton plant, the news came as a relief just before the Christmas holiday, but aviation analyst Scott Hamilton says the announcement of no lay-offs came with a caveat. "Well, there's obviously still uncertainty because what Boeing said was they aren't going to furlough, quote, "at this time", unquote. So how long does that mean?" said Hamilton, adding "Obviously, Boeing maintaining the employee payroll at this point, before the holiday, is a real relief and committing to pay the bonuses that were earned, is a real relief to the employees but what does the end of "at this time" look like? We just don't know." For the many small aerospace component manufacturers who supply parts for the 737MAX, the immediate future is less certain. Its been reported that Boeing has not contacted them as yet, with details of the production stoppage. WATCH: Gravitas: The Downfall Of Boeing × Thousands of other jobs are dependent upon Boeing 737MAX contracts, as Scott Hamilton describes, "You have a supply chain outside Boeing that is going to be affected. We're still trying to understand what that effect is going to be. There haven't been any public announcement by Boeing. There have been some stories reported that they're going to try to keep some suppliers whole, if you will, or at least sustainable. Other suppliers, we just don't know." And it won't just be manufacturing that might be affected if the production shutdown lasts very long, or if jobs in the component sector are furloughed. The local economy is heavily reliant upon wages paid by Boeing and its parts' suppliers. For now Boeing's workers are still clocking in at the Renton plant, but their union representative says the nine months since the 737MAX was grounded has been hard on them. "Our members care deeply about the work they perform, and they perform it in a fashion to build a safe aircraft. They are proud of the work they do. They are proud of the aircraft that they build, and it certainly has caused a lot of anxiety over these last several months," said Holden. As 737MAX's await re-certification and delivery to the airlines that ordered them, Scott Hamilton believes that the impact of the production shutdown could be felt much more widely than just in the Seattle region if it goes on beyond a few weeks. "I think you're looking at two to three months, would be my forecast. If it goes on to six months, boy, you're going to see employees furloughed without pay. You're going to see a ripple effect down through the supply chain. You're going to see a ripple effect through the US economy." For now these multi-million dollar aircraft stand idle, mothballed in a parking lot while their fate is being decided by aviation regulators in the United States and around the world.

Boeing supplier employees anxious as company halts 737 Max production

Boeing Co has temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years. Boeing made the announcement as the planemaker's best-selling MAX involved in two fatal crashes, reports said.

Boeing Co has temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years. Boeing made the announcement as the planemaker's best-selling MAX involved in two fatal crashes, reports said. Boeing, which builds the 737 south of Seattle, said it will not lay off any employees during the production freeze, though the move could have repercussions across its global supply chain and the US economy. Watch: Boeing halts 737 max production after 20 years × The decision, made by Boeing's board after a two-day meeting in Chicago, follows news last week that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would not approve the plane's return to service before 2020, the report added. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people within five months, costing the plane manufacturer more than $9 billion so far. Until now Boeing has continued to produce 737 MAX jets at a rate of 42 per month and purchase parts from suppliers at a rate of up to 52 units per month, even though deliveries are frozen until regulators approve the aircraft to fly commercially again. Boeing's shares closed down 4% on Monday and fell 1% after hours.

Boeing suspends production of 737 Max model after two crashes

Boeing To Suspend The Production Of 737 Max As Its Brand Value Comes Crashing Down Boeing has decided to suspend the production of the 737 Max aircraft.

Gravitas: The Downfall Of Boeing

Boeing Took Passengers & Their Safety For A Ride & Now The Company Has Come Crashing Down Boeing prioritised profit over safety. Boeing took passengers for a ride. Boeing boosted the production of 737 Max despite not having enough workers. There are many lesson to learn from Boeing saga. #Gravitas #GravitasEdit #Boeing #737Max

Wion Edit: Lessons To Learn From Boeing Saga

Boeing is temporarily halting production of its grounded 737 Max after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said last week it would not approve the plane’s return to service before 2020.

Boeing halts 737 max production after 20 years

The United States' Federal Aviation Administration has made a huge admission in the Boeing 737 MAX case.&nbsp;

The FAA has admitted that it was aware of the risks involved in keeping the aircraft on the air, but decided not to act.&nbsp;

After the first 737 MAX accident involving a lion air flight in October 2018, the FAA had mounted an investigation, in which it clearly found that without design changes there would be at least 15 more crashes in the aircraft's lifetime.

However, in a huge oversight, the agency did not ground the plane, leading to another fatal crash in March 2019.

The lives of 157 people who were onboard the Ethiopian air flight were the cost of FAA's blunder.&nbsp;

During a congressional hearing, the aviation agency chief was asked whether it was a mistake to let the aircraft remain on the air and the reply was a resounding 'Yes'.

Trouble for Boeing is not just mounting from the FAA but also from within the company.

Edward Piersone, a former senior manager turned whistleblower has revealed damning details against Boeing at the hearing, stating that the conditions at the Renton factory where the aircraft was made could have been a contributing factor.

Pierson had also categorically warned Boeing about the possibility of crashes which preceded the first 737 MAX crash.

The factory was also stretched beyond its capacity, where there were 13 safety incidents, all of which were ignored by the company.

The United States' Federal Aviation Administration has made a huge admission in the Boeing 737 MAX case. The FAA has admitted that it was aware of the risks involved in keeping the aircraft on the air, but decided not to act.

The United States' Federal Aviation Administration has made a huge admission in the Boeing 737 MAX case. The FAA has admitted that it was aware of the risks involved in keeping the aircraft on the air, but decided not to act. After the first 737 MAX accident involving a lion air flight in October 2018, the FAA had mounted an investigation, in which it clearly found that without design changes there would be at least 15 more crashes in the aircraft's lifetime. However, in a huge oversight, the agency did not ground the plane, leading to another fatal crash in March 2019. The lives of 157 people who were onboard the Ethiopian air flight were the cost of FAA's blunder. During a congressional hearing, the aviation agency chief was asked whether it was a mistake to let the aircraft remain on the air and the reply was a resounding 'Yes'. Trouble for Boeing is not just mounting from the FAA but also from within the company. Edward Piersone, a former senior manager turned whistleblower has revealed damning details against Boeing at the hearing, stating that the conditions at the Renton factory where the aircraft was made could have been a contributing factor. Pierson had also categorically warned Boeing about the possibility of crashes which preceded the first 737 MAX crash. The factory was also stretched beyond its capacity, where there were 13 safety incidents, all of which were ignored by the company.

Boeing 737 MAX case: US Federal Aviation Administration admits being aware of aircrafts' incompetencies; costing lives of 157 people

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it seeks to impose a $3.9 million (£3.04 million) fine on Boeing Co, alleging it failed to prevent the installation of defective parts on about 130 737 NG airplanes.

The FAA alleged that Boeing "failed to adequately oversee its suppliers to ensure they complied with the company’s quality assurance system ... Boeing knowingly submitted aircraft for final FAA airworthiness certification after determining that the parts could not be used due to a failed strength test."

In a statement on Friday, Boeing did not admit liability but said they were aware of the FAA's concerns.

"We are working closely with our customers to take the appropriate corrective actions," spokesman Charles Bickers said.

The company has 30 days to respond either by paying the fine or challenging it; Boeing said it would review the penalty.

The FAA disclosed in June that 300 NG and 737 MAX airplanes could contain improperly manufactured parts and said it would require these parts to be quickly replaced. The fine announced on Friday only relates to NG airplane components, the FAA said, but it is continuing to review the issue as it relates to the MAX.

The parts at issue are tracks on the leading edge of the wings used to guide the movement of slats that provide additional lift during takeoff and landing, the FAA said. The issue could result in a slat striking an airplane, potentially resulting in injury to passengers or preventing a safe landing.

The FAA said Boeing's oversight failure "resulted in the installation of slat tracks that were weakened by a condition known as hydrogen embrittlement that occurred during cadmium-titanium plating."

Boeing reiterated on Friday it had not been informed of any in-service issues related to the batch of slat tracks in question. It added that "all affected 737 NGs have been inspected and all slat track installations determined to be required have been completed on the NGs."

The NG is the third-generation 737 that the company began building in 1997.

Boeing's safety record has come under criticism from some in Congress, as has the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX, which has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. Boeing said it will ensure "all inspections and any necessary part replacements are performed on all 737 MAXs before they return to service."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it seeks to impose a $3.9 million (£3.04 million) fine on Boeing Co, alleging it failed to prevent the installation of defective parts on about 130 737 NG airplanes.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it seeks to impose a $3.9 million (£3.04 million) fine on Boeing Co, alleging it failed to prevent the installation of defective parts on about 130 737 NG airplanes. The FAA alleged that Boeing "failed to adequately oversee its suppliers to ensure they complied with the company’s quality assurance system ... Boeing knowingly submitted aircraft for final FAA airworthiness certification after determining that the parts could not be used due to a failed strength test." In a statement on Friday, Boeing did not admit liability but said they were aware of the FAA's concerns. "We are working closely with our customers to take the appropriate corrective actions," spokesman Charles Bickers said. The company has 30 days to respond either by paying the fine or challenging it; Boeing said it would review the penalty. The FAA disclosed in June that 300 NG and 737 MAX airplanes could contain improperly manufactured parts and said it would require these parts to be quickly replaced. The fine announced on Friday only relates to NG airplane components, the FAA said, but it is continuing to review the issue as it relates to the MAX. The parts at issue are tracks on the leading edge of the wings used to guide the movement of slats that provide additional lift during takeoff and landing, the FAA said. The issue could result in a slat striking an airplane, potentially resulting in injury to passengers or preventing a safe landing. The FAA said Boeing's oversight failure "resulted in the installation of slat tracks that were weakened by a condition known as hydrogen embrittlement that occurred during cadmium-titanium plating." Boeing reiterated on Friday it had not been informed of any in-service issues related to the batch of slat tracks in question. It added that "all affected 737 NGs have been inspected and all slat track installations determined to be required have been completed on the NGs." The NG is the third-generation 737 that the company began building in 1997. Boeing's safety record has come under criticism from some in Congress, as has the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX, which has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. Boeing said it will ensure "all inspections and any necessary part replacements are performed on all 737 MAXs before they return to service."

FAA seeks $3.9 million fine from Boeing for defective parts on 737 NG planes

Boeing Co forecast Indian airlines will order up to 2,380 planes from global planemakers over the next 20 years, 80 more than it predicted last year.

Darren Hulst, a senior marketing executive at Boeing, also confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that it was working with regulators on returning the 737 MAX to service and that the company expected the model to return to commission in the fourth quarter in the United States.

India's passenger traffic had risen at around 20 per cent in recent years, making it one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets, but growth has stumbled this year following the collapse of Jet Airways Ltd in April and softer economic conditions.

At present, Airbus SE has the dominant market share in the country, where the largest airline, Interglobe Aviation Ltd's IndiGo, operates an all-A320 family fleet and last month ordered another 300 of the planes.

Boeing Co forecast Indian airlines will order up to 2,380 planes from global planemakers over the next 20 years, 80 more than it predicted last year. Darren Hulst, a senior marketing executive at Boeing, also confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that it was working with regulators on returning the 737 MAX to service and that the company expected the model to return to commission in the fourth quarter in the United States.

Boeing Co forecast Indian airlines will order up to 2,380 planes from global planemakers over the next 20 years, 80 more than it predicted last year. Darren Hulst, a senior marketing executive at Boeing, also confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that it was working with regulators on returning the 737 MAX to service and that the company expected the model to return to commission in the fourth quarter in the United States. India's passenger traffic had risen at around 20 per cent in recent years, making it one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets, but growth has stumbled this year following the collapse of Jet Airways Ltd in April and softer economic conditions. At present, Airbus SE has the dominant market share in the country, where the largest airline, Interglobe Aviation Ltd's IndiGo, operates an all-A320 family fleet and last month ordered another 300 of the planes.

India will order 2,380 jets from planemakers over 20 years: Boeing

Boeing said Monday it carried out a successful test of its Starliner crew capsule that is supposed to take US astronauts to the International Space Station, even though one of three main parachutes designed to ease it back to earth failed to deploy.

The test took place in the New Mexico desert at the White Sands Missile Range and lasted around 95 seconds.

The Starliner was set on a small launch pad with four engines to simulate an emergency in which the capsule, attached to the top of a rocket,&nbsp;would need to quickly separate to bring the astronauts safely back to Earth.

Its four engines ignited and blasted the Starliner at full speed to the sky. After 20 seconds, only two of its three main parachutes deployed. The spacecraft gently drifted to the ground, landing on the desert floor cushioned by large airbags.

NASA said in a statement that two out of three parachutes "is acceptable for the test parameters and crew safety."

Boeing put out a statement saying there had been a "deployment anomaly, not a parachute failure." In the aerospace industry, an anomaly is the euphemism of choice for an incident, even if there has been a serious accident.

"It's too early to determine why all three main parachutes did not deploy," Boeing said.

In his first assessment, Starliner program manager John Mulholland said that "the test team and spacecraft performed flawlessly."

"Emergency scenario testing is very complex, and today our team validated that the spacecraft will keep our crew safe in the unlikely event of an abort."

Boeing is one of the companies, along with SpaceX, that NASA has chosen to build spacecraft to shuttle astronauts to the ISS.

Since the end of the US Space Shuttle program in 2011, only the Russians with their Soyuz system have had the capacity to travel from the Earth to the ISS.

Boeing is planning to launch an unmanned Starliner capsule on December 17 to the ISS, as SpaceX did with its Crew Dragon capsule in March.

The first missions carrying humans should take place in 2020, according to NASA, but this schedule depends on the success of several upcoming tests.

SpaceX, for example, has yet to finalize parachute tests of its capsule.

"We hope we never need to use this system, but in case we ever have any trouble aboard the beautiful Atlas V on the launchpad, we know, after today's test, that we'll be able to get off safely and then come back and try again a different day," said former NASA astronaut and Boeing test astronaut Mike Fincke.

"It's been a long time since we've launched out of the United States," added Fincke, speaking after the White Sands test.

"We really appreciate our friends in Russia for having the launch vehicle and the Soyuz. I flew on it twice. It's a great launch vehicle, great spacecraft, but it's time to have more options," he said.

Boeing said Monday it carried out a successful test of its Starliner crew capsule that is supposed to take US astronauts to the International Space Station, even though one of three main parachutes designed to ease it back to earth failed to deploy.

Boeing said Monday it carried out a successful test of its Starliner crew capsule that is supposed to take US astronauts to the International Space Station, even though one of three main parachutes designed to ease it back to earth failed to deploy. The test took place in the New Mexico desert at the White Sands Missile Range and lasted around 95 seconds. The Starliner was set on a small launch pad with four engines to simulate an emergency in which the capsule, attached to the top of a rocket, would need to quickly separate to bring the astronauts safely back to Earth. Its four engines ignited and blasted the Starliner at full speed to the sky. After 20 seconds, only two of its three main parachutes deployed. The spacecraft gently drifted to the ground, landing on the desert floor cushioned by large airbags. NASA said in a statement that two out of three parachutes "is acceptable for the test parameters and crew safety." Boeing put out a statement saying there had been a "deployment anomaly, not a parachute failure." In the aerospace industry, an anomaly is the euphemism of choice for an incident, even if there has been a serious accident. "It's too early to determine why all three main parachutes did not deploy," Boeing said. In his first assessment, Starliner program manager John Mulholland said that "the test team and spacecraft performed flawlessly." "Emergency scenario testing is very complex, and today our team validated that the spacecraft will keep our crew safe in the unlikely event of an abort." Boeing is one of the companies, along with SpaceX, that NASA has chosen to build spacecraft to shuttle astronauts to the ISS. Since the end of the US Space Shuttle program in 2011, only the Russians with their Soyuz system have had the capacity to travel from the Earth to the ISS. Boeing is planning to launch an unmanned Starliner capsule on December 17 to the ISS, as SpaceX did with its Crew Dragon capsule in March. The first missions carrying humans should take place in 2020, according to NASA, but this schedule depends on the success of several upcoming tests. SpaceX, for example, has yet to finalize parachute tests of its capsule. "We hope we never need to use this system, but in case we ever have any trouble aboard the beautiful Atlas V on the launchpad, we know, after today's test, that we'll be able to get off safely and then come back and try again a different day," said former NASA astronaut and Boeing test astronaut Mike Fincke. "It's been a long time since we've launched out of the United States," added Fincke, speaking after the White Sands test. "We really appreciate our friends in Russia for having the launch vehicle and the Soyuz. I flew on it twice. It's a great launch vehicle, great spacecraft, but it's time to have more options," he said.

Boeing tests space crew capsule, reports problem with parachute

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-says-dozens-of-737ng-planes-grounded-globally-over-cracks-259164">Boeing's new chairman</a> on Tuesday gave a forceful vote of confidence in CEO Dennis Muilenburg amid calls in Congress for the embattled Boeing chief executive to resign after two deadly crashes.

"Dennis has done everything right," Boeing Chairman David Calhoun told CNBC, praising Muilenburg for keeping the board closely abreast of efforts to return the 737 MAX back to service after 346 people were killed in the accidents.

"To date he has our confidence," Calhoun said.

Calhoun acknowledged that some of Boeing's assumptions in the development of the MAX were faulty, but hit back at suggestions that the company cut corners and compromised safety.

Boeing's board has kept a low profile during the crisis over the MAX, which was grounded worldwide in March following the second of the two crashes.

The company on October 11 stripped Muilenburg of the chairman title, replacing him with Calhoun, even as he was kept on as CEO and as a member of the board.

Muilenburg last week endured two days of bruising grilling and criticism from lawmakers probing the issues that led to the two accidents of the top-selling jet.

Boeing has acknowledged problems with the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, an automated flight control system implicated in both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.

Calhoun said the crashes also revealed "flawed" assumptions about how pilots would react to a malfunction of the system.

"No one was hiding anything, it was a set of engineering decisions that ended up being wrong," Calhoun said. "And our job now is to make sure that whatever processes we had, whatever process our regulator has, that those processes never allow for this to ever happen again."

But lawmakers depicted the crashes as evidence Boeing had cut corners on safety to rush the MAX into service to compete with a plane from rival Airbus.

Cultural problem?

US Representative Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat who chaired last week's hearing by the House Transportation Committee, pointed to documents showing Boeing leadership during the MAX's development was "aware of many of the problems that engineers are now attempting to fix."

DeFazio faulted Muilenburg's responses to many questions as "consistent with a culture of concealment and opaqueness."

"The bottom line is that there are a lot of unanswered questions, and our investigation has a long way to go to get the answers everyone deserves, especially the families of the crash victims," DeFazio said in a letter to congressional colleagues.

But Calhoun said criticism of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/united-states-lawmakers-will-press-boeing-ceo-on-day-two-of-testimony-258870">Boeing's corporate culture</a> missed the mark.

While Boeing could take steps to strengthen the visibility of its commitment to safety, "I do not believe that this instance is indicative of a cultural problem," he said.

Meanwhile, he said Muilenburg is completely focused on returning the MAX to service and succeeding in the face of "one of the most difficult situations any CEO that I've ever known has lived through."

"We're going to support Dennis."

Calhoun said Muilenburg had asked not to receive a bonus for 2019 after lawmakers lambasted the CEO over his pay at the hearing last week.

In 2018, Muilenburg's total compensation package was $23.4 million, according to a securities filing.

And Calhoun said the company was not considering clawing back Muilenburg's pay from earlier years because there was "no culpability."

Boeing's new chairman on Tuesday gave a forceful vote of confidence in CEO Dennis Muilenburg amid calls in Congress for the embattled Boeing chief executive to resign after two deadly crashes.

Boeing's new chairman on Tuesday gave a forceful vote of confidence in CEO Dennis Muilenburg amid calls in Congress for the embattled Boeing chief executive to resign after two deadly crashes. "Dennis has done everything right," Boeing Chairman David Calhoun told CNBC, praising Muilenburg for keeping the board closely abreast of efforts to return the 737 MAX back to service after 346 people were killed in the accidents. "To date he has our confidence," Calhoun said. Calhoun acknowledged that some of Boeing's assumptions in the development of the MAX were faulty, but hit back at suggestions that the company cut corners and compromised safety. Boeing's board has kept a low profile during the crisis over the MAX, which was grounded worldwide in March following the second of the two crashes. The company on October 11 stripped Muilenburg of the chairman title, replacing him with Calhoun, even as he was kept on as CEO and as a member of the board. Muilenburg last week endured two days of bruising grilling and criticism from lawmakers probing the issues that led to the two accidents of the top-selling jet. Boeing has acknowledged problems with the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, an automated flight control system implicated in both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. Calhoun said the crashes also revealed "flawed" assumptions about how pilots would react to a malfunction of the system. "No one was hiding anything, it was a set of engineering decisions that ended up being wrong," Calhoun said. "And our job now is to make sure that whatever processes we had, whatever process our regulator has, that those processes never allow for this to ever happen again." But lawmakers depicted the crashes as evidence Boeing had cut corners on safety to rush the MAX into service to compete with a plane from rival Airbus. Cultural problem? US Representative Peter DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat who chaired last week's hearing by the House Transportation Committee, pointed to documents showing Boeing leadership during the MAX's development was "aware of many of the problems that engineers are now attempting to fix." DeFazio faulted Muilenburg's responses to many questions as "consistent with a culture of concealment and opaqueness." "The bottom line is that there are a lot of unanswered questions, and our investigation has a long way to go to get the answers everyone deserves, especially the families of the crash victims," DeFazio said in a letter to congressional colleagues. But Calhoun said criticism of Boeing's corporate culture missed the mark. While Boeing could take steps to strengthen the visibility of its commitment to safety, "I do not believe that this instance is indicative of a cultural problem," he said. Meanwhile, he said Muilenburg is completely focused on returning the MAX to service and succeeding in the face of "one of the most difficult situations any CEO that I've ever known has lived through." "We're going to support Dennis." Calhoun said Muilenburg had asked not to receive a bonus for 2019 after lawmakers lambasted the CEO over his pay at the hearing last week. In 2018, Muilenburg's total compensation package was $23.4 million, according to a securities filing. And Calhoun said the company was not considering clawing back Muilenburg's pay from earlier years because there was "no culpability."

Muilenburg did 'everything right' after deadly crashes: Boeing chairman

Boeing announced Thursday that dozens of its popular 737NG planes had been taken out of service after cracks in them were detected, marking another setback for the crisis-stricken US aircraft maker.

The new difficulties compound the troubles facing the US manufacturer, which has faced tumbling profits, federal scrutiny and calls for its CEO to resign after deadly crashes involving the 737 MAX, the successor aircraft for the 737NG.

Australian national carrier Qantas said it had found cracks in three of its 737NGs and removed them from service for repairs, after inspecting 33 jets which had flown more than 22,600 times - the threshold set by US regulators for such inspections.

Nine of the planes were grounded in South Korea this month, including five operated by Korean Air, according to authorities in Seoul. US carrier Southwest Airlines has taken three planes out of service due to the problem.

Several other leading carriers said inspections had not turned up cracks on their aircraft.

Boeing had previously reported a problem with the model's "pickle fork" -- apart which helps bind the wing to the fuselage.

US regulators earlier this month ordered inspections of older NG aircraft, directing that planes with more flying hours to be checked within seven days.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said operators could not fly the planes until the issue was addressed.

A Boeing spokesperson on Thursday told AFP in Sydney that fewer than five per cent of 1,000 planes had cracks detected and were grounded for repair.

Boeing and Qantas stressed travellers should not be concerned.&nbsp;

"We would never fly an aircraft that wasn't safe," said Andrew David, the CEO of Qantas Domestic, adding that the airline considered the 737NGs to be "very reliable."

"Even where these hairline cracks are present they're not an immediate risk, which is clear from the fact the checks were not required for at least seven months."

David said the three grounded 737s had flown about 27,000 times and that other aircraft with the same number of flights showed no problems.

Stephen Fankhauser, an aviation expert at Australia's Swinburne University of Technology, said that the parts were designed so the "structure can tolerate some level of damage or degradation."

"The inspection period is set to ensure the cracks do not continue to grow to a dangerous length and then significantly compromise the strength of the airframe," he said.

Some carriers still checking

The FAA on October 3 ordered immediate checks of Boeing 737NG planes that had flown more than 30,000 times.&nbsp;

Planes with at least 22,600 flight cycles should be inspected within the next 1,000 trips, the order said.

Australia's Virgin Airways conducted checks on its 17 Boeing 737NG planes and did not find any issues, a spokesman for Australia's air regulator said.

Ireland's Ryanair said it was continuing to review its aircraft and did not expect the issue to affect operations or fleet availability.

Norwegian told AFP its own fleet was "not immediately concerned" because its Boeing aircraft were still relatively new, while Transavia France said it had begun checks on 38 jets with no cracks found so far.&nbsp;

Among US carriers, American Airlines and United Airlines said they had found no cracks on planes thus far, while Delta Air Lines reported no structural issues on its 737 planes.

Southwest Airlines said it took three NG planes out of service for repairs and that it was still checking some planes.

"We continue to work with Boeing on the upcoming repairs to the three NG aircraft identified and do not have a firm timeline for when the airplanes will be returned to service," a Southwest spokesman said.

A spokesman for Australia's aviation regulator said the industry response was about "nipping a potential safety problem in the bud by taking proactive action now."

There were calls from union leaders for Qantas to ground its entire 737 fleet until checks were complete, but the airline said those were "completely irresponsible."

"Even when a crack is present, it does not immediately compromise the safety of the aircraft," said Qantas head of engineering Chris Snook.

Boeing announced Thursday that dozens of its popular 737NG planes had been taken out of service after cracks in them were detected, marking another setback for the crisis-stricken US aircraft maker.

Boeing announced Thursday that dozens of its popular 737NG planes had been taken out of service after cracks in them were detected, marking another setback for the crisis-stricken US aircraft maker. The new difficulties compound the troubles facing the US manufacturer, which has faced tumbling profits, federal scrutiny and calls for its CEO to resign after deadly crashes involving the 737 MAX, the successor aircraft for the 737NG. Australian national carrier Qantas said it had found cracks in three of its 737NGs and removed them from service for repairs, after inspecting 33 jets which had flown more than 22,600 times - the threshold set by US regulators for such inspections. Nine of the planes were grounded in South Korea this month, including five operated by Korean Air, according to authorities in Seoul. US carrier Southwest Airlines has taken three planes out of service due to the problem. Several other leading carriers said inspections had not turned up cracks on their aircraft. Boeing had previously reported a problem with the model's "pickle fork" -- apart which helps bind the wing to the fuselage. US regulators earlier this month ordered inspections of older NG aircraft, directing that planes with more flying hours to be checked within seven days. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said operators could not fly the planes until the issue was addressed. A Boeing spokesperson on Thursday told AFP in Sydney that fewer than five per cent of 1,000 planes had cracks detected and were grounded for repair. Boeing and Qantas stressed travellers should not be concerned. "We would never fly an aircraft that wasn't safe," said Andrew David, the CEO of Qantas Domestic, adding that the airline considered the 737NGs to be "very reliable." "Even where these hairline cracks are present they're not an immediate risk, which is clear from the fact the checks were not required for at least seven months." David said the three grounded 737s had flown about 27,000 times and that other aircraft with the same number of flights showed no problems. Stephen Fankhauser, an aviation expert at Australia's Swinburne University of Technology, said that the parts were designed so the "structure can tolerate some level of damage or degradation." "The inspection period is set to ensure the cracks do not continue to grow to a dangerous length and then significantly compromise the strength of the airframe," he said. Some carriers still checking The FAA on October 3 ordered immediate checks of Boeing 737NG planes that had flown more than 30,000 times. Planes with at least 22,600 flight cycles should be inspected within the next 1,000 trips, the order said. Australia's Virgin Airways conducted checks on its 17 Boeing 737NG planes and did not find any issues, a spokesman for Australia's air regulator said. Ireland's Ryanair said it was continuing to review its aircraft and did not expect the issue to affect operations or fleet availability. Norwegian told AFP its own fleet was "not immediately concerned" because its Boeing aircraft were still relatively new, while Transavia France said it had begun checks on 38 jets with no cracks found so far. Among US carriers, American Airlines and United Airlines said they had found no cracks on planes thus far, while Delta Air Lines reported no structural issues on its 737 planes. Southwest Airlines said it took three NG planes out of service for repairs and that it was still checking some planes. "We continue to work with Boeing on the upcoming repairs to the three NG aircraft identified and do not have a firm timeline for when the airplanes will be returned to service," a Southwest spokesman said. A spokesman for Australia's aviation regulator said the industry response was about "nipping a potential safety problem in the bud by taking proactive action now." There were calls from union leaders for Qantas to ground its entire 737 fleet until checks were complete, but the airline said those were "completely irresponsible." "Even when a crack is present, it does not immediately compromise the safety of the aircraft," said Qantas head of engineering Chris Snook.

Boeing says dozens of 737NG planes grounded globally over cracks

Boeing Co Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg faces a second day of questions Wednesday from US&nbsp;lawmakers on its now grounded 737 MAX after sharp criticism at a Senate hearing Tuesday.

US&nbsp;Representative Peter DeFazio, who heads the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will hear from Muilenburg on Wednesday, said in a written statement that the committee's lengthy investigation into the MAX has turned up significant questions about Boeing's decision-making.

"Something went drastically wrong, a total of 346 people died, and we have a duty to fix it," DeFazio will say in his opening statement.

DeFazio said the panel is aware of "at least one case where a Boeing manager implored the then-vice president and general manager of the 737 programme&nbsp;to shut down the 737 MAX production line because of safety concerns." Boeing did not comment Tuesday on the allegation.

Muilenburg told reporters on Wednesday he believes the allegation was in response to concerns about a change in the increase of the production rate. He said Boeing was aware of those concerns and had acknowledged them.

Muilenburg said that he had met with some family members of the victims before Wednesday's hearing. "It was tough to hear," he said, adding the company was making "the fixes we need to make."

The Boeing CEO on Tuesday acknowledged errors in failing to give pilots more information on a key safety system known as MCAS before the crashes, as well as for taking months to disclose that it had made optional an alarm that alerts pilots to a mismatch of flight data on the 737 MAX.

"We've made mistakes and we got some things wrong. We're improving and we're learning," he said.

The hearing, the highest-profile congressional scrutiny of commercial aviation safety in years, heaps pressure on a newly rejigged Boeing senior management team fighting to repair trust with airline customers and passengers shaken by an eight-month safety ban on its 737 MAX following the crashes.

"You have told me half-truths over and over again," Senator Tammy Duckworth told Muilenburg, questioning why the manufacturer did not disclose more details about MCAS's lack of safeguards. On Wednesday, Muilenburg said he would work to ensure she got the information she was seeking.

Taking turns to grill Muilenburg during his first appearance at a hearing on Capitol Hill in the year since the first crash in Indonesia, senators also expressed dismay that 2016 instant messages discussing erratic behaviour of simulator software - a replica of the system aboard the jetliner - did not prompt an immediate reaction from the company.

For months, Boeing had largely failed to acknowledge blame, instead vowing to make a "safe plane safer." Tuesday's hearing represents Boeing's broadest acceptance of responsibility that it made mistakes, but Muilenburg stopped short of what some lawmakers and family members had sought.

Family members were seated just three rows behind Muilenburg during his testimony and were invited at one point to stand and show large photos of their loved ones.

Nadia Milleron, whose daughter was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, said Muilenburg and the board should resign for failing to do more to prevent the crashes.

As Muilenburg departed the hearing, she implored him to look at the victims' families when he apologized. He turned to her and said: "I'm sorry."

Boeing Co Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg faces a second day of questions Wednesday from US lawmakers on its now grounded 737 MAX after sharp criticism at a Senate hearing Tuesday.

Boeing Co Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg faces a second day of questions Wednesday from US lawmakers on its now grounded 737 MAX after sharp criticism at a Senate hearing Tuesday. US Representative Peter DeFazio, who heads the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which will hear from Muilenburg on Wednesday, said in a written statement that the committee's lengthy investigation into the MAX has turned up significant questions about Boeing's decision-making. "Something went drastically wrong, a total of 346 people died, and we have a duty to fix it," DeFazio will say in his opening statement. DeFazio said the panel is aware of "at least one case where a Boeing manager implored the then-vice president and general manager of the 737 programme to shut down the 737 MAX production line because of safety concerns." Boeing did not comment Tuesday on the allegation. Muilenburg told reporters on Wednesday he believes the allegation was in response to concerns about a change in the increase of the production rate. He said Boeing was aware of those concerns and had acknowledged them. Muilenburg said that he had met with some family members of the victims before Wednesday's hearing. "It was tough to hear," he said, adding the company was making "the fixes we need to make." The Boeing CEO on Tuesday acknowledged errors in failing to give pilots more information on a key safety system known as MCAS before the crashes, as well as for taking months to disclose that it had made optional an alarm that alerts pilots to a mismatch of flight data on the 737 MAX. "We've made mistakes and we got some things wrong. We're improving and we're learning," he said. The hearing, the highest-profile congressional scrutiny of commercial aviation safety in years, heaps pressure on a newly rejigged Boeing senior management team fighting to repair trust with airline customers and passengers shaken by an eight-month safety ban on its 737 MAX following the crashes. "You have told me half-truths over and over again," Senator Tammy Duckworth told Muilenburg, questioning why the manufacturer did not disclose more details about MCAS's lack of safeguards. On Wednesday, Muilenburg said he would work to ensure she got the information she was seeking. Taking turns to grill Muilenburg during his first appearance at a hearing on Capitol Hill in the year since the first crash in Indonesia, senators also expressed dismay that 2016 instant messages discussing erratic behaviour of simulator software - a replica of the system aboard the jetliner - did not prompt an immediate reaction from the company. For months, Boeing had largely failed to acknowledge blame, instead vowing to make a "safe plane safer." Tuesday's hearing represents Boeing's broadest acceptance of responsibility that it made mistakes, but Muilenburg stopped short of what some lawmakers and family members had sought. Family members were seated just three rows behind Muilenburg during his testimony and were invited at one point to stand and show large photos of their loved ones. Nadia Milleron, whose daughter was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, said Muilenburg and the board should resign for failing to do more to prevent the crashes. As Muilenburg departed the hearing, she implored him to look at the victims' families when he apologized. He turned to her and said: "I'm sorry."

United States lawmakers will press Boeing CEO on day two of testimony

Boeing, acting without adequate oversight from US&nbsp;regulators, failed to grasp risks in the design of cockpit software on its 737 MAX airliner, sowing the seeds for a Lion Air crash that also involved errors by airline workers and crew, Indonesian investigators found.

The fatal crash followed less than five months by another at Ethiopian Airlines, led to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/boeing-profit-slumps-53-as-max-grounding-takes-heavy-toll-257743">global grounding</a> of the&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;737 MAX and a crisis for the world's biggest planemaker, which this week <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-ousts-airliner-chief-as-737-max-crisis-grows-257742">ousted its commercial</a> airplanes chief.

In its final report into the October&nbsp;29, 2018, Lion Air crash that killed all 189 people on board, Indonesia made recommendations to&nbsp;Boeing, the airline, the US&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies.

A copy was seen by Reuters and it is due to be released publicly later on Friday or on Saturday, an investigator said.

Indonesian regulators criticised the design of the anti-stall system known as MCAS, which automatically pushed the plane's nose down, leaving pilots fighting for control.

"The design and certification of the MCAS did not adequately consider the likelihood of loss of control of the aircraft," the report said.

Boeing&nbsp;has been working on a redesign of MCAS although it has yet to certified by the FAA.

The report also said "deficiencies" in the flight crew's communication and manual control of the aircraft contributed to the crash, as did alerts and distractions in the cockpit.

The accident had been caused by a complex chain of events, Indonesian air accident investigator Nurcahyo Utomo told reporters at a news conference, repeatedly declining to be drawn on providing a single dominant cause.

"From what we know, there are nine things that contributed to this accident," he said. "If one of the nine hadn't occurred, maybe the accident wouldn't have occurred."

During the flight, the first officer was unable to quickly identify a checklist in a handbook or perform tasks he should have had memorised, it said, adding that he had also performed poorly in training exercises.

The captain did not properly brief the first officer when handing over control just before the plane entered a fatal dive, it also said.

The report noted that according to the cockpit voice recorder, the first officer told the captain the flight was not in his initial schedule and he had been called at 4 a.m. to be informed of the revision, while the captain said he had the flu.

A critical angle of attack (AOA) sensor providing data to the MCAS anti-stall system had been miscalibrated by a company in Florida and that there were strong indications that it was not tested during installation by Lion Air maintenance staff, the report said.

Lion Air should have grounded the jet following faults on earlier flights, it said, and added that 31 pages were missing from the airline's October maintenance logs.

A Lion Air spokesman said the crash was an "unthinkable tragedy" and it was essential to take immediate corrective actions to ensure a similar accident never occurred again.

Boeing&nbsp;said in a statement that it was addressing Indonesia's safety recommendations and taking actions to enhance the safety of the 737 MAX.

FAA said it welcomed the report's recommendations and would carefully consider them and all others as it continued to review&nbsp;Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX.

Boeing&nbsp;faces a slew of investigations by regulators, US&nbsp;Congress, and the Department of Justice over its development of the 737 MAX, its previously best-selling workhorse for short-haul travel.

Boeing&nbsp;last month settled the first claims stemming from the Lion Air crash, a US&nbsp;plaintiffs' lawyer said.

Three other sources told Reuters that families of those killed would receive at least $1.2 million each.

The manufacturer is facing nearly 100 lawsuits over the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 which killed all 157 people on board the flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.

Indonesia has offered to aid Ethiopian authorities in their investigation into that crash but to date there has been no response, said Soerjanto, the head of Indonesia's accident investigator.

Boeing&nbsp;CEO Dennis Muilenburg said this week the company was making "daily" progress on testing the final software fix for the 737 MAX and developing related training materials. The FAA has said it would need at least several more weeks for review.

The Indonesia report said that&nbsp;Boeing's safety assessment assumed pilots would respond within three seconds of a system malfunction but on the accident flight and one that experienced the same problem the previous evening, it took both crews about eight seconds to respond.

It called for the systems to be designed not just for highly skilled test pilots but also for regular commercial airline pilots.

The FAA had delegated increasing authority to&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;to certify the safety of its own aircraft, Indonesian investigators said in the report, recommending that all certification processes received adequate oversight.

A panel of international air safety regulators this month also faulted&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;for assumptions it made in designing the 737 MAX and found areas where&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;could improve processes.

Boeing, acting without adequate oversight from US regulators, failed to grasp risks in the design of cockpit software on its 737 MAX airliner, sowing the seeds for a Lion Air crash that also involved errors by airline workers and crew, Indonesian investigators found.

Boeing, acting without adequate oversight from US regulators, failed to grasp risks in the design of cockpit software on its 737 MAX airliner, sowing the seeds for a Lion Air crash that also involved errors by airline workers and crew, Indonesian investigators found. The fatal crash followed less than five months by another at Ethiopian Airlines, led to a global grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX and a crisis for the world's biggest planemaker, which this week ousted its commercial airplanes chief. In its final report into the October 29, 2018, Lion Air crash that killed all 189 people on board, Indonesia made recommendations to Boeing, the airline, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies. A copy was seen by Reuters and it is due to be released publicly later on Friday or on Saturday, an investigator said. Indonesian regulators criticised the design of the anti-stall system known as MCAS, which automatically pushed the plane's nose down, leaving pilots fighting for control. "The design and certification of the MCAS did not adequately consider the likelihood of loss of control of the aircraft," the report said. Boeing has been working on a redesign of MCAS although it has yet to certified by the FAA. The report also said "deficiencies" in the flight crew's communication and manual control of the aircraft contributed to the crash, as did alerts and distractions in the cockpit. The accident had been caused by a complex chain of events, Indonesian air accident investigator Nurcahyo Utomo told reporters at a news conference, repeatedly declining to be drawn on providing a single dominant cause. "From what we know, there are nine things that contributed to this accident," he said. "If one of the nine hadn't occurred, maybe the accident wouldn't have occurred." During the flight, the first officer was unable to quickly identify a checklist in a handbook or perform tasks he should have had memorised, it said, adding that he had also performed poorly in training exercises. The captain did not properly brief the first officer when handing over control just before the plane entered a fatal dive, it also said. The report noted that according to the cockpit voice recorder, the first officer told the captain the flight was not in his initial schedule and he had been called at 4 a.m. to be informed of the revision, while the captain said he had the flu. A critical angle of attack (AOA) sensor providing data to the MCAS anti-stall system had been miscalibrated by a company in Florida and that there were strong indications that it was not tested during installation by Lion Air maintenance staff, the report said. Lion Air should have grounded the jet following faults on earlier flights, it said, and added that 31 pages were missing from the airline's October maintenance logs. A Lion Air spokesman said the crash was an "unthinkable tragedy" and it was essential to take immediate corrective actions to ensure a similar accident never occurred again. Boeing said in a statement that it was addressing Indonesia's safety recommendations and taking actions to enhance the safety of the 737 MAX. FAA said it welcomed the report's recommendations and would carefully consider them and all others as it continued to review Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX. Boeing faces a slew of investigations by regulators, US Congress, and the Department of Justice over its development of the 737 MAX, its previously best-selling workhorse for short-haul travel. Boeing last month settled the first claims stemming from the Lion Air crash, a US plaintiffs' lawyer said. Three other sources told Reuters that families of those killed would receive at least $1.2 million each. The manufacturer is facing nearly 100 lawsuits over the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 which killed all 157 people on board the flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. Indonesia has offered to aid Ethiopian authorities in their investigation into that crash but to date there has been no response, said Soerjanto, the head of Indonesia's accident investigator. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said this week the company was making "daily" progress on testing the final software fix for the 737 MAX and developing related training materials. The FAA has said it would need at least several more weeks for review. The Indonesia report said that Boeing's safety assessment assumed pilots would respond within three seconds of a system malfunction but on the accident flight and one that experienced the same problem the previous evening, it took both crews about eight seconds to respond. It called for the systems to be designed not just for highly skilled test pilots but also for regular commercial airline pilots. The FAA had delegated increasing authority to Boeing to certify the safety of its own aircraft, Indonesian investigators said in the report, recommending that all certification processes received adequate oversight. A panel of international air safety regulators this month also faulted Boeing for assumptions it made in designing the 737 MAX and found areas where Boeing could improve processes.

Indonesia report on 737 MAX crash faults Boeing design, says Lion Air made mistakes

Boeing Co cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo, piling new pressures on a rejigged senior management team as the continued safety grounding of its 737 MAX sliced third-quarter profits.

Boeing Co&nbsp;reported a 53 per cent&nbsp;drop in quarterly profit on Wednesday and had a negative free cash flow of $2.89 billion in the quarter, compared with a positive free cash flow of $4.10 billion a year earlier.

Core operating earnings fell to $895 million or $1.45 per share, from $1.89 billion or $3.58 per share, a year earlier.

Boeing shares were slightly higher in premarket trading at $340.10.

The profit slump and trio of industrial setbacks capped a tumultuous week for the world's largest planemaker, already in the eighth month of a deepening crisis over the grounding of its best-selling single-aisle following <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopian-airlines-crash-pilot-reported-difficulties-had-asked-to-return-202389">deadly crashes.</a>

On Tuesday, the company ousted the top executive of its crucial airplanes division, Kevin McAllister, in an unexpected management shakeup related to the MAX crisis that senior industry sources say puts Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg squarely in the firing line in the event of further revelations or if the company fails to recover from the MAX crisis.

Muilenburg's title of board chairman was stripped earlier this month.

Despite fresh setbacks, Boeing said it was sticking to its expectation that the MAX would return to service in the fourth quarter, though the timeline was at the mercy of regulators conducting certification reviews.

Boeing said there was "no significant change" to estimated potential concessions and other considerations to airline customers related to the 737 MAX grounding, part of the $8 billion price tag Boeing estimated for the MAX earlier this year.

"Our top priority remains the safe return to service of the 737 MAX, and we're making steady progress," Muilenburg said in a statement accompanying the results. Boeing has begun taking steps to increase safety oversight in its industrial operations and at the board level, he added.

Boeing plans to cut 787 production, delayed a planned rise in 737 production and the entry into service of the 777X twin-aisle,&nbsp;a trio of industrial setbacks broadening pressure on the company's new commercial leadership.

Boeing named veteran executive Stan Deal, who had been running its two-year-old Global Services Division, to the top job at commercial airplanes. Deal's challenge to get the MAX back into service globally while simultaneously handling new aircraft deliveries and boosting 737 production is seen as one of the most formidable logistical challenges in the industry's history.

Boeing said it was delaying plans to step up production on its 737 line in the Seattle-area through 2019, and would not hit a record-level 57 aircraft monthly until late 2020, months later than previously planned.

Citing global trade tensions, it was also reducing the 787 production rate to 12 airplanes per month for approximately two years beginning in late 2020.

Its forthcoming 777X twin-aisle, facing engine issues at General Electric, was progressing through pre-flight testing and remains on track for first flight in early 2020, but the company was now targeting early 2021 for the first delivery of the 777X.

Boeing Co cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo, piling new pressures on a rejigged senior management team as the continued safety grounding of its 737 MAX sliced third-quarter profits.

Boeing Co cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo, piling new pressures on a rejigged senior management team as the continued safety grounding of its 737 MAX sliced third-quarter profits. Boeing Co reported a 53 per cent drop in quarterly profit on Wednesday and had a negative free cash flow of $2.89 billion in the quarter, compared with a positive free cash flow of $4.10 billion a year earlier. Core operating earnings fell to $895 million or $1.45 per share, from $1.89 billion or $3.58 per share, a year earlier. Boeing shares were slightly higher in premarket trading at $340.10. The profit slump and trio of industrial setbacks capped a tumultuous week for the world's largest planemaker, already in the eighth month of a deepening crisis over the grounding of its best-selling single-aisle following deadly crashes. On Tuesday, the company ousted the top executive of its crucial airplanes division, Kevin McAllister, in an unexpected management shakeup related to the MAX crisis that senior industry sources say puts Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg squarely in the firing line in the event of further revelations or if the company fails to recover from the MAX crisis. Muilenburg's title of board chairman was stripped earlier this month. Despite fresh setbacks, Boeing said it was sticking to its expectation that the MAX would return to service in the fourth quarter, though the timeline was at the mercy of regulators conducting certification reviews. Boeing said there was "no significant change" to estimated potential concessions and other considerations to airline customers related to the 737 MAX grounding, part of the $8 billion price tag Boeing estimated for the MAX earlier this year. "Our top priority remains the safe return to service of the 737 MAX, and we're making steady progress," Muilenburg said in a statement accompanying the results. Boeing has begun taking steps to increase safety oversight in its industrial operations and at the board level, he added. Boeing plans to cut 787 production, delayed a planned rise in 737 production and the entry into service of the 777X twin-aisle, a trio of industrial setbacks broadening pressure on the company's new commercial leadership. Boeing named veteran executive Stan Deal, who had been running its two-year-old Global Services Division, to the top job at commercial airplanes. Deal's challenge to get the MAX back into service globally while simultaneously handling new aircraft deliveries and boosting 737 production is seen as one of the most formidable logistical challenges in the industry's history. Boeing said it was delaying plans to step up production on its 737 line in the Seattle-area through 2019, and would not hit a record-level 57 aircraft monthly until late 2020, months later than previously planned. Citing global trade tensions, it was also reducing the 787 production rate to 12 airplanes per month for approximately two years beginning in late 2020. Its forthcoming 777X twin-aisle, facing engine issues at General Electric, was progressing through pre-flight testing and remains on track for first flight in early 2020, but the company was now targeting early 2021 for the first delivery of the 777X.

Boeing profit slumps 53% as MAX grounding takes heavy toll

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