A “miraculous” landing raises systemic airline safety questions
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Posted January 11, 2024 8:08 am.
In today’s Big Story Podcast, none of the 177 passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight were seriously hurt, despite a panel blowing out of the middle of the aircraft at 16,000 feet shortly after takeoff. The emergency landing is a credit to the people involved. What we’ve since learned about this series of aircraft, though, is deeply troubling.
Outsourcing is a growing trend in the aircraft industry, explains Katya Schwenk, a reporter at The Lever. The company that built the key part of this aircraft—as well as others that have since been grounded—was already mired in an ongoing court case for allegedly cutting corners.
“I think in the wake of this, that is a really important question to be asked. What role should the FAA have been playing here? Was something missed by government oversight and government regulators before the Alaska Airlines crisis?” she says.
This is not the first time a large chunk of Boeing planes have been grounded over safety concerns. What’s happening in the airplane industry? And what do you need to know if you’re flying?
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