Boeing’s mid-flight drama is a severe blow to a troubled company

On Jan 5, passengers on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 were subjected to the terrifying ordeal of watching

a piece of the 737 Max 9 aircraft they were on tear away

, leaving a gaping hole in its place. It turns out that a panel covering an unused emergency exit had fallen away while the aircraft was flying at about 16,000 feet. Amazingly, no one was sitting beside that door, so there were no casualties. But a child seated nearby is reported to have had his shirt sucked off as the aircraft lost pressure. It could have been much worse.

The exact cause of the accident is not likely to be known before safety inspectors complete their investigation. But whether they find this is the fault of a supplier, Boeing or neither, it is a severe blow to the American aerospace and defence company’s reputation at a time when it appears to be staggering from one incident to another. This raises questions over whether the company has really overcome the quality and production issues revealed after the fatal crashes of the 737 Max 8 in 2018 and 2019.