At a U.S. Senate hearing last month, a Boeing whistleblower claimed that small gaps in Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner could cause a catastrophic accident. The following week at the 787 assembly plant in South Carolina, Boeing insisted the gaps pose no risk and the jet is safe.

The dueling narratives, emerging as Boeing’s credibility is near an all-time low, left industry observers and the public at a loss as to the risk.

A Boeing 737 skidded off a runway at an airport in Senegal’s capital, injuring at least 11 people and grounding all operations while crew assisted with an evacuation of the aircraft.

The Air Senegal flight operated by TransAir was set to take off from the Blaise Diagne airport in the country’s capital of Dakar and fly to the city of Bamako in Mali on Thursday around midnight when the plane "came off the runway during its take-off phase," Senegal Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye told reporters. 

Airline executives are frustrated with Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab as its safety crisis has upended their business plans. But in a tight market for large aircraft supplied by two companies, they have little choice but do business with the U.S. planemaker.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more bizarre or surreal, the Boeing story did just that.

Boeing’s problems are rippling across major U.S. airlines.

Airlines are cutting back on flying and tempering plans to hire pilots and flight attendants as they prepare to receive fewer Boeing planes than they had planned at the start of the year.

Southwest Airlines said Tuesday that it would cut flight capacity and re-evaluate its financial guidance, citing lower-than-expected deliveries of Boeing jets. The carrier’s shares tumbled around 15% in afternoon trading, as the carrier also reported weaker leisure-travel demand early this year.

A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm's production standards has been found dead in the US.

John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.

In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Mr Barnett's passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday.

It said the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted" wound on 9 March and police were investigating.

Boeing will have to delay deliveries of more of its bestselling 737 Max planes after a supplier found new production glitches, adding to pressure on the beleaguered US manufacturer.

The aircraft maker will have to conduct work on about 50 undelivered planes after supplier Spirit Aerosystems discovered two holes drilled incorrectly, Reuters reported.

Boeing has withdrawn a request for a safety exemption for a new version of its 737 Max jet that would have expedited its approval, raising questions over when the plane will enter service. 

The US plane maker has come under mounting pressure to withdraw the request for the 737 Max 7 following the blowout of a section of the fuselage on an Alaska Airlines aircraft earlier this month.

The incident, which involved the Max 9 model, has dealt a heavy blow to Boeing’s reputation and raised numerous safety and quality control questions at the company.