Two aerospace companies based in the southern Italian city of Brindisi reportedly supplied the materials for the construction of the Dreamliner’s sections 44 and 46 (the two large central fuselage sections) to the airline company Leonardo-Aerostrato. According to the state prosecutor’s office, this “has led to the production of aircraft parts with significantly lower static properties and lower stress resistance, which has an impact on traffic safety.”
La Stampa and other Italian newspapers reported Saturday that pure titanium, instead of a titanium alloy, was used to make parts including the plane’s structural components, and the aluminum alloys used were also different than expected. Non-conforming material is significantly cheaper than standard material.
6,000 parts were confiscated
This was announced by the Brindisi Public Prosecutor’s Office in the final report of the investigations against seven people and two companies. They are believed to belong to a criminal organization whose mission is to commit crimes ranging from attacks on road safety to environmental pollution and economic fraud.
The investigation also seized nearly 6,000 aircraft parts that were determined to be made of materials other than those intended. The Principe Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered and consultations conducted by technicians specializing in the aerospace industry certified that at least 4,829 titanium components and at least 1,158 aluminum components were non-compliant, the Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
“Aviation safety at risk”
Reports and investigations carried out by the International Mutual Legal Assistance Request in the United States revealed that some structural components that did not meet the standard could have a long-term impact on the safety of the Boeing 787 aircraft. The US company is taking an unusual step to launch a maintenance campaign for the affected aircraft.
As part of the investigation, the directors of two Principe companies operating in the aerospace industry were accused of undermining transport safety and fraudulent transactions in their transactions to the detriment of Leonardo-Aerostructure, the world leader in the production of civil and military aircraft, and Boeing. Use by mutual agreement.
Barrels containing dangerous goods
The investigation follows a previous investigation (completed in 2021) that resulted in the seizure of corporate assets of two companies due to bankruptcy, three arrests and the reporting of four suspects. 35 barrels of hazardous waste were also found at the Brindisi industrial estate.
It is said to have contaminated the soil with environmentally harmful substances such as chromium, copper, zinc, arsenic and lead. Contaminants are said to come from chemical surface treatment processes and mechanical processing of metals for aircraft construction. A report commissioned by the state prosecutor’s office shows that the contamination has “affected the soil to a depth of three meters and to concentrations above established limits”.
Boeing continues to be in crisis
Boeing has been in constant crisis since the crashes of two 737 Max medium-haul jets five years ago. After an engine in the series lost a door-sized fuselage on a plane in early 2024, the FAA took a closer look at the manufacturer. This partially limited production and halted delivery of many new machines.
About 33,000 Boeing workers have been on strike for more than two weeks. The board had recently offered to increase their salaries by 30 percent. But the workers overwhelmingly rejected the offer. The union entered negotiations with a demand for a 40 percent wage increase over the four-year contract period. In previous years, the staff accepted many zero rounds.
Analysts estimate Boeing lost nearly $3.4 billion in cash in the third quarter. In the first half of the year, the company had already burned more than eight billion dollars because it had to cut production of its most popular 737 Max model due to manufacturing defects. According to several analysts, the strike is costing the company about $1.5 billion per month.
