Alaska
‘Our mistake’, Boeing CEO vows transparency after 737 Max door blowout
‘The planemaker must own up to its shortcomings’, said Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun as it grapples with a safety incident that has renewed questions over the quality of its manufacturing.
During a companywide meeting at its 737 factory near Seattle, Calhoun told Boeing employees, “We’re going to approach this — No. 1 — acknowledging our mistake. We’re going to approach it with 100% and complete transparency every step of the way.”
The remarks came at an all-hands meeting called by Calhoun to reinforce safety as the company’s top priority after a door plug ejected from a 737 Max 9 last week mid-flight, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane, Bloomberg reported.
“I’ve got kids, I’ve got grandkids and so do you. This stuff matters. Every detail matters,” he said as he recalled seeing photographs of the plane’s damaged fuselage.
US regulators grounded 171 of Boeing’s 737 Max 9 aircraft and ordered inspections after the January 5 accident. None of the 177 passengers and crew onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 were injured when the panel ripped free shortly after the plane departed from Portland, Oregon.
Calhoun had told employees earlier that the all-hands meeting would focus on Boeing’s “response to this accident, and reinforcing our focus on and our commitment to safety, quality, integrity and transparency.”
Alaska Air Group Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. have both discovered other 737 Max 9 jets with loose bolts after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the Max 9 and ordered carriers to inspect the planes.
The agency on Tuesday said that formal inspections have yet to start as Boeing is revising instructions for the checks after receiving feedback, and all of the affected planes will remain idle until the regulator deems them safe.
On January 6, a window broke on an Alaska Airlines aircraft flying from Portland to Ontario in the US, causing a loss of cabin pressure and forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing back at Portland International Airport. The plane was carrying 174 passengers and six crew members. Nobody was injured in the incident.
(With Bloomberg inputs)
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Published: 10 Jan 2024, 07:05 AM IST