Boeing CEO acknowledges error after incident with 737 Max 9 – 01/09/2024 – Market

Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun on Tuesday took responsibility for the near-catastrophic Alaska Airlines incident and promised “complete transparency” as the aviation giant tries to emerge from its latest crisis.

“Let’s address this by first acknowledging our mistake,” Calhoun told employees at a safety meeting called after Friday’s emergency landing, which occurred after a panel on the aircraft’s fuselage detached mid-flight.

“We will approach this 100% and with complete transparency at every step,” he said.

According to the executive, the company needs to gain the trust of airlines and work with regulators to ensure that last week’s air dashboard explosion “can never happen again.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered on Saturday (6) that a total of 171 planes were grounded following the incident, causing several flight cancellations.

Calhoun, who joined Boeing in January 2020 as the company was rocked by two deadly 737 Max crashes, has committed to working with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the incident.

“I trust every step they take that they will come to a conclusion,” Calhoun said of the NTSB.

The panel that exploded on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 replaces an optional exit door used by airlines that have more numerous seat configurations.

Calhoun told employees they will make sure customers know that “every Boeing plane in the sky is safe,” two people familiar with the comments said.

This Tuesday (9), United Airlines and Alaska Airlines found components in the plugged doors of some of their Max 9s that needed to be tightened. “The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for the return of the Boeing 737-9 Max to service,” the FAA said.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) reported on Tuesday (9) that it was still working with Boeing to finalize detailed inspection instructions for planes on the ground.

With Reuters