Boeing whistleblower reports to FAA have jumped since 737 incident (NYSE:BA)

Whistleblower reports about Boeing (NYSE:BA) soared more than 11-fold in the first five months of the year compared with all of 2023, Bloomberg News reported, citing data from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration that serve as another sign of concerns about the plane maker’s safety record.

The agency received 126 tips from January 5 through the end of May, compared with 11 for all of 2023.

The jump in reports came after a metal panel blew out from the cabin of a new 737 Max jet flown by Alaska Airlines. Investigators determined that the plane had left Boeing’s (BA) factory missing four bolts to secure the panel in place.

FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker during a visit to Boeing’s (BA) factory in Renton, Washington, last winter asked company Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun to share the agency’s hotline information with all employees, and Calhoun did, according to an FAA statement cited by Bloomberg News.

Boeing (BA) also said it has urged workers to submit safety concerns through an internal program called “Speak Up.” Submissions jumped more than 500% from a year earlier during the first two months of the year, according to the company, which also said it’s received tens of thousands of suggestions from employees during quality standdowns, or pauses in work for a day of focusing on safety.