Boeing’s legacy vanished into thin air. Saving it will take years

A Boeing 737 Max-10 performs a flying display at the 54th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France. Boeing’s revival hinges to a large degree on returning the company to its engineering-first, pilot-focused, safety-centric ethos that gave rise to such iconic models as the 747 jumbo and the hugely popular 777 widebody – and even the 737 itself, which enjoyed a stellar safety record for five decades before the advent of the Max, say former senior executives as well as customers. — Reuters

Back in October, Boeing Co chief executive officer Dave Calhoun sought to rally employees reeling from a manufacturing setback, this time involving wrongly drilled holes in a crucial aircraft section – yet another blow to a company that once enjoyed a sterling reputation for building awesome flying machines.

“I have heard those outside our company wondering if we’ve lost a step. I view it as quite the opposite,” Calhoun wrote in a company memo, going on to tout the “rigour around our quality processes” at the US aircraft manufacturer. “I am proud of the team, and confident we’ll look back on this time period as when we took the necessary steps that set Boeing on the right course for the future.”