Boeing's Transparency Push as Air India Investigation Continues

Skift

5 hours ago

Following a rare public update after last week's crash, we now have a clearer view of how Boeing plans to manage consumer, customer, and regulatory relationships.
Skift's coverage of the Air India crash is offered free to all readers.
Boeing is pledging open communication and its commitment to 'long-term values' as it navigates the fallout from last week's Air India crash. The investigation into the June 12 tragedy involving a 787 Dreamliner plane is ongoing.
Speaking at a media briefing attended by Skift on the fringes of the Paris Air Show, Darren Hulst, Boeing's VP of Commercial Marketing, offered fresh insights into the company's position.
While the cause of the crash remains unknown, Boeing has emphasized its support for the official investigation being conducted under ICAO's Annex 13 framework. Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered. This is a critical step in helping officials determine what happened in the final moments of the flight.
Hulst confirmed that Boeing is providing on-the-ground support to Air India, a role he said will continue throughout the investigation: 'We will continue to support our customers. We're there on the ground today with our partners at Air India to support them, and that is not going to change.'
Long-Term Impact on Boeing Unclear
Asked if the crash could affect future demand for Boeing products, Hulst said it was hard to answer the question given the early stage of the investigation.
However, he did underscore the importance of transparency and trust: 'There's too many things that we don't know… but the relationships, the transparency, and the focus that we've had in working with our customers… that's a function of the long-term values that we've had for safety and quality.'
Despite last week's tragedy, Hulst suggested that passengers shouldn't have concerns about traveling on a Boeing plane: 'I'm confident, our customers are confident, and the flying public should be confident in that dedication in terms of what that means for the safety of our aircraft.'
It comes as an exclusive Skift Research survey of Indian travelers, conducted after the June 12 accident, highlighted fragility in traveler confidence. Of the respondents who had recently taken a flight, 51% said they had actively avoided certain airlines over the past year due to safety concerns. An additional 28% said they steered clear of specific routes or situations. Only 5% reported having no concerns about airline safety at all.
The surveillance of Air India's Boeing 787 fleet has not revealed "any major safety concerns" so far, Indian civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said June 17. The DGCA added that "the aircraft and associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards."
Boeing's Broader Challenges
There's no indication at this stage that Boeing is responsible for the crash. However, its association with the tragedy is unwelcome.
The company was already navigating a years-long safety crisis following the two fatal 737 Max crashes and the Alaska Airlines blowout incident.
The 787 was also the center of a congressional hearing last year when multiple whistleblowers testified about alleged safety issues to the Senate subcommittee on investigations. The incidents and subsequent fall-out have seen Boeing lose billions of dollars and multiple executive shuffles in recent years.
Boeing recently reached a $1.1 billion deal with the U.S. Justice Department over fatal 737 Max crashes of 2018 and 2019, which would allow it to avoid criminal charges. As part of the deal, Boeing has to admit to obstructing federal oversight, offer compensation to the victims, and work to improve its safety, compliance, and quality programs.
Despite the negative headlines, demand for Boeing products remains robust. The company recently reported its highest number of plane orders since December 2023, with gross orders reaching 303 aircraft in May. The firm delivered 45 aircraft in May – matching April's total, and nearly double year-over-year – as it works to improve production.
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