Boston Scientific lands in Minneapolis the week of a major pacemaker recall

Boston Scientific flew from Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts, to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on May 12, a 2-hour-45-minute hop aboard its Bombardier Challenger 650 (N650BS). The trip lands the company’s leadership in the same metro area where, as reported by massdevice.com this week, the FDA has just classified a March 2026 advisory as a Class I recall—the most serious type—for Accolade-family pacemakers and CRT-Ps, citing a battery issue that has been linked to four deaths and more than 2,500 serious injuries.

The recall centers on a battery problem at Boston Scientific’s factory near Minneapolis, per a New York Times investigation published in March that described years of battery test failures at the plant. The company has issued a software update (Brady SMR6) to mitigate the risk of devices entering a dangerous “Safety Mode,” but the expanded recall scope and ongoing scrutiny make this a critical moment for the business.

The flight follows a pattern of recent trips that suggest active management of operational and regulatory challenges: the same aircraft flew from Seattle to Boston on May 5, and made multiple shuttles between Boston and the New York area earlier in the month. Minneapolis, a recurring destination in the company’s travel history, is now the site of its most pressing quality-control crisis.