A door blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX was not how many expected the first week of 2024 to unfold. However, following the incident, inspections and investigations have uncovered further production flaws at Boeing, raising concerns about quality control for the major manufacturer, alongside safety.

Since the Alaska Airlines incident, 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX planes were grounded for almost three weeks. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched an investigation into production practices at the planemaker, Alaska Airlines increased their oversight into Boeing, key suppliers were under fire, and Boeing, in firefighting mode, said it had “implemented immediate actions to strengthen quality”.