Boeing’s reputation has taken a nosedive in recent years, with safety scandals, plummeting stock and bad press. After fatal crashes in 2018, 2019 and 2025, and at least nine malfunction incidents in the first half of 2024, the plane manufacturer has a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with employees, authorities and the public.
Are employees and travelers ready to forgive and forget? And what does it take to rebuild trust and reputation at this scale?
Profit returns, but problems remain
According to CNBC, Boeing reported shining numbers for Q2 this year, with an 81% sales increase in the commercial airplane unit and a 10% increase in revenue in the defense and space unit. That translates to over $17 billion, but that doesn’t mean the company is out of the woods yet.
New chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, who was brought in to revive the company’s reputation, said, “Change takes time, but we’re starting to see a difference in our performance across the business,” in a note to staff.
Ortberg plans to save Boeing by rebuilding its corporate culture and focusing on passenger safety to regain public trust. But there’s still a long way to go.
Worker confidence is at an all-time low
Bjorn Fehrm, an aeronautical and economic analyst at industry consultants Leeham Company, said to the BBC, “People in Boeing don’t believe in words from top management any more.”
Sam Mohawk, a QA investigator at a Washington Boeing factory, came forward in 2024 to blow the whistle on what he described as a “broken down” system.
At West Coast factories, 33,000 unionized workers went on strike in mid-September 2024, per Reuters. The strike ended in November when 59% of workers accepted a 38% pay increase over four years and a 401(k) match increase. The strike cost Boeing $5.5 billion, according to Anderson Economic Group.
Now, 3,200 unionized workers from Missouri and Illinois factories are threatening to strike. According to Fox Business, they rejected a contract with a 20% wage increase over four years, a $5,000 ratification bonus and more vacation/sick days.
The strike threatens the 10% revenue increase in the defense manufacturing unit, but Boeing is in a position of weakness. Its fragile state poses an opportunity for skilled manufacturing workers to improve their contracts.
A drastic increase in wages and benefits for workers could slow down Boeing’s profits just as it’s reviving them. But how the company handles this looming strike could ripple into public perception.
Sacrificing speed for safety
Boeing’s most recent strike could lose public favor. It could also reinforce the perception that the company is chaotic and disorganized.
Beyond company politics, Boeing still needs to restore the public’s faith in the safety of its aircraft. It’s using third-party validation of quality systems, which is expensive but integral to rebuilding credibility.
Spurred by the January 2024 incident, the company has implemented a “systemic overhaul of its quality and safety protocols,” per AInvest.
Boeing’s 2025 Safety and Quality Plan includes four pillars: workforce training, process simplification, defect elimination and safety culture elevation. The company is strategically slowing down its manufacturing to assure people that it values safety over speed and revenue. Only time will tell if the public can trust again.
Delivering planes—and on promises
While the reduced Q2 earnings showed promise, this is just the beginning of Boeing’s turnaround.
Its comeback depends on stabilizing the delivery of planes like the 737 MAX and the 2026 arrival of the 777X. At the end of 2024, Boeing had 8,700 planes in its order backlog, meaning plenty of revenue if it could deliver on its safety and manufacturing promises.
However, the potential strike and continued distrust among workers and the public stand in the way of success. Transparency and accountability are crucial. It won’t happen overnight, but with a careful and genuine approach, Boeing can once again be a dominating brand.
Boeing’s climb back to the top must be slow, steady and safe, much like its new manufacturing processes.
Photo by Falcons Spotters/Shutterstock
