A major aerospace manufacturer hopes that high-tech investments in its production processes will help alleviate a slew of recent safety problems, its top executive said earlier this month.
Spirit AeroSystems CEO Patrick Shanahan told Reuters that the company would add systems to make the complicated work of building portions of aircraft fuselages easier for its workers. It also plans to increase inspections and bolster training for its mechanics, Shanahan said while discussing the company’s latest quarterly earnings report.
Kansas-based Spirit has come under fire for a series of recent issues related to its work for Boeing, the Chicago-based aircraft giant. In the most-publicized incident, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines suffered a mid-air blowout later attributed to a faulty door plug, but Spirit — which makes the 737’s entire fuselage — also faces questions over improperly drilled holes, defective fittings, the presence of foreign debris, and other quality control problems.
Shanahan noted that full-scale automation at Spirit’s Wichita plant would not be practical but said the technology could help technicians working on the front and rear of the fuselages. He also told Reuters that, moving forward, the company’s executive compensation packages would be more closely linked to its quality control.
Spirit reported a 37% increase in revenue in its latest quarter, but its adjusted profit fell short of analysts’ expectations. The company did not issue a forecast for the current year due to lingering uncertainty over 737 MAX production levels and price talks with Boeing rival Airbus.
