What has made the Boeing 737 Max so challenging to operate?

In two separate plane crashes that occurred five months apart in Indonesia and Ethiopia, a total of 346 people lost their lives. These accidents involved 737 Max 8 planes.

In January 2024, a near catastrophe occurred when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 plane at 16,000 feet, shortly after it took off from Portland, Oregon. A preliminary report from U.S. accident investigators said the door panel that flew off the Max 9 was missing four key bolts.

Boeing's 737 Max production process has been found to have quality control problems by the Federal Aviation Administration, and as a result, the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines incident. The FAA has stated that it will not allow Boeing to expand production until it is satisfied with the improvements made to its quality control processes.

In the aftermath of the door plug accident, Boeing made significant management changes, resulting in a slowdown of new jet deliveries and prompting criticism from the leaders of some of Boeing's major airline clients.

In early 2020, Dave Calhoun was appointed CEO to resolve the Max crisis following two fatal crashes. He announced his departure at the end of 2024, along with the replacement of Boeing's chairman and head of commercial airplane unit.

Boeing's 737 Max crisis and the future of its best-selling jet are explored in a CNBC video.