Recently, a Boeing whistleblower revealed that he faced criticism for slowing down production due to finding defects in airplane parts. The former quality inspector, Santiago Paredes, previously employed by Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas, disclosed that planes were routinely leaving the factory with serious issues. Paredes reported discovering nearly 200 defects in the parts and attempted to halt production to address the problems. Despite his efforts, he alleged that management pressured him to overlook these issues in order to meet production quotas and schedules. This revelation comes as Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing are under scrutiny following an incident where a door detached from a 737 Max airplane in January. Investigators found that the faulty door had been fitted by Spirit and later removed by Boeing technicians. Paredes, in an interview with CBS News, claimed to encounter problems daily. The whistleblower’s account echoes that of John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who also spoke out against the company before his untimely death. Boeing’s CEO, David Calhoun, was called to testify before a Senate subcommittee in response to additional safety-related allegations made by whistleblowers. Calhoun has announced his retirement from the company at the end of 2024. For more information on the troubles facing Boeing, visit this link.
