A recent incident involving a Boeing 757 flight operated by United Airlines has brought more unwanted attention to the aircraft manufacturer. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Denver due to damage discovered on one of the plane’s wings.
Maintenance Issue vs. Manufacturing Issue
Given that production of the Boeing 757 ceased in 2004, the issue is likely related to maintenance rather than manufacturing. The age of the plane, around 30 years, contrasts with a recent incident involving a Boeing MAX-9 on an Alaska Airlines flight, which was only eight weeks old when it lost a door panel midair.
FAA Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that it will investigate the incident that occurred during a San Francisco to Boston flight on Monday. United Airlines stated that the Boeing 757-200 jet, carrying 165 passengers, needed to land to address an issue with one of the wings’ slats. A slat is a movable panel on a plane’s wings used during low-speed operations like takeoff and landing.
Unclear Cause of Damage
Despite the emergency landing, the cause of the damage remains uncertain. Boeing has not provided a comment but has referred inquiries to United Airlines.
Ongoing Challenges for Boeing
Boeing has faced increasing challenges this year, with the FAA launching an investigation into the company’s manufacturing practices and production lines following the door panel incident on a 737 MAX 9 flight. This led to the temporary grounding of the MAX 9 and a pause in Boeing’s planned production expansion of the MAX family.
Stock Performance
Despite these setbacks, Boeing’s stock has only slightly decreased by 0.2% in premarket trading early Wednesday. However, it has experienced a 22% decline in 2024, while its European competitor Airbus has seen a 4% increase over the same period.