On January 5th, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 made headlines when its unused cabin door fell off mid-air, raising questions about Boeing’s commitment to safety. While no serious injuries were reported, the incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ground most Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for inspection.
Simultaneously, a separate debate unfolded on social media, revealing that Boeing has been actively working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for the past two years. Critics, including billionaire Elon Musk and Project 21 Chairman Horace Cooper, voiced concerns over Boeing’s emphasis on diversity, suggesting it might compromise air travel safety.
Elon Musk took to social media platform X to express his reservations, quoting James Lindsay, a user who highlighted Boeing’s 2022 annual incentive plan incorporating DEI as a focus area for employee incentives. Musk raised the question, “Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritized DEI hiring over your safety?”
Further investigation revealed that Boeing set a goal to achieve diverse interview slates for at least 90% of manager and executive openings, exceeding the target with 92% diverse interview slates and resulting in 47% diverse hires at those levels. The company has now increased the bar to expect 92.5% diverse interview slates.
Boeing’s annual GEDI report indicated a rise in employees from different ethnic groups while noting a 3% decrease in White representation. Critics argue that Boeing, traditionally diverse, now seems to prioritize race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation over hiring the best candidate.
In response to the recent incident, Boeing’s President and CEO, Dave Calhoun, admitted to a “mistake” and pledged complete transparency in addressing the issue. The company will collaborate with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate and determine the cause of the door detachment.
Over 170 Boeing 737 Max-9s were globally grounded following the incident, with United Airlines discovering installation issues during inspections. United Airlines reported finding instances related to installation issues in the door plug, such as bolts needing additional tightening. However, it is too early to conclude the cause of the problem.
Boeing has a history of safety controversies, notably the grounding of the 737 Max series for around two years after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. The recent incident has led to flight cancellations, emphasizing the importance of addressing both safety concerns and diversity initiatives in the aviation industry.
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