Boeing

Boeing is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and weapons systems. It is one of the world's largest aerospace companies and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing is known for its iconic aircraft, such as the 737, 747, and 787 Dreamliner. The company has been involved in several high-profile controversies, including the 737 MAX crashes, which have led to increased scrutiny of its safety practices.

737 MAX

The Boeing 737 MAX is a family of narrow-body, twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is a derivative of the Boeing 737 Next Generation, with new engines and aerodynamic improvements. The 737 MAX was introduced in 2017 and quickly became one of the most popular aircraft in the world. However, the aircraft was involved in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, which led to its grounding worldwide. The crashes were attributed to a design flaw in the MCAS software, which caused the aircraft to nosedive.

MCAS

MCAS stands for Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System. It is a software system designed to prevent the Boeing 737 MAX from stalling. The system was intended to compensate for the new, larger engines on the MAX jets, which had a tendency to nose the plane upwards. However, the MCAS system was not properly briefed to pilots, and it was not designed to be overridden by the pilots. This led to the two fatal crashes of 737 MAX-8 planes in 2018 and 2019.

FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a United States government agency responsible for the regulation of civil aviation. The FAA is responsible for the safety of air travel, the certification of aircraft and pilots, and the management of the national airspace system. The FAA has been criticized for its oversight of Boeing and its certification of the 737 MAX aircraft. The agency has been accused of being too close to the aerospace industry and of failing to adequately scrutinize Boeing's safety practices.

Airbus

Airbus is a European multinational aerospace corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells aircraft, helicopters, and space systems. It is one of the world's largest aerospace companies and is headquartered in Toulouse, France. Airbus is a major competitor to Boeing in the commercial aircraft market. The company has been gaining market share in recent years, and airlines are increasingly considering shifting to Airbus jets in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX crashes.

Deferred Prosecution Agreement

A deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) is a legal agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant in which the prosecutor agrees to defer prosecution of criminal charges in exchange for the defendant's agreement to comply with certain conditions. DPAs are often used in cases where the government believes that the defendant has taken steps to remedy the wrongdoing and is unlikely to re-offend. In the case of Boeing, the company entered into a DPA with the Department of Justice in 2021 in connection with the 737 MAX crashes. The DPA required Boeing to pay a $2.5 billion fine and to implement a number of safety reforms.

Whistleblowers

Whistleblowers are individuals who expose wrongdoing or illegal activities within an organization. Whistleblowers often face retaliation from their employers, but they play an important role in holding organizations accountable. In the case of Boeing, whistleblowers have come forward to expose safety concerns about the 737 MAX aircraft. Their testimony has been crucial in the investigation into the crashes and the subsequent scrutiny of Boeing's safety practices.

Duopoly

A duopoly is a market structure in which two firms dominate the market. In the case of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, they are the two largest defense contractors in the United States. This duopoly gives them significant market power and makes it difficult for other companies to compete. The duopoly has also been criticized for leading to higher prices and less innovation.