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Boeing Employees Mocked F.A.A. and 'Clowns' Who Designed 737 Max

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Nyakundi Report

Newsroom 1 min read

This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.

Published on January 10, 2020, a series of internal communications revealed Boeing employees mocking F.A.A. officials reviewing the 737 Max.

One Boeing employee described a presentation to the F.A.A. as 'like dogs watching TV' in 2015.

Employees seemed to prioritize limiting training for airline crews to fly the plane, a move that would benefit Boeing financially.

Boeing had promised Southwest Airlines a $1 million discount per plane if regulators required simulator training.

However, in 2016, a marketing employee celebrated the approval of short computer-based training for pilots, saying 'You can be away from an NG for 30 years and still be able to jump into a MAX? LOVE IT!!'

Requiring simulator training can be costly for airlines, and Boeing initially told the F.A.A. it was not necessary.

It wasn't until Tuesday that Boeing said it would recommend simulator training for pilots who fly the Max.

Boeing expressed regret over the messages, stating that the language used 'raises questions about Boeing's interactions with the F.A.A.'

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