Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun addressed the mid-air panel blowout incident from an Alaska Airlines jet on Tuesday, publicly acknowledging the company's mistake. He assured staff that Boeing would collaborate with regulators to prevent a recurrence of the incident. This marked Boeing's first public admission of error since the 737 MAX 9 plane experienced a significant panel failure last Friday, January 5.
What did Boeing's top planemaking official said?
Stan Deal, Boeing's top planemaking official, also emphasised the seriousness of the accident during a somber town hall meeting. He mentioned that Boeing is initiating checks into its quality controls and processes. Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two US carriers using the temporarily grounded 737 MAX planes, discovered loose parts on similar aircraft, raising concerns about the potential for a similar incident.
"We are going to approach this, number one, acknowledging our mistake. We're going to approach it with 100 per cent and complete transparency every step of the way," Calhoun told employees, according to an excerpt released by Boeing.
Boeing CEO expresses concerns over incident
Calhoun's comments followed the incident where a door plug snapped off the fuselage of a nearly full 737 MAX 9, resulting in a noticeable hole next to a miraculously empty seat. Expressing deep concern, Calhoun admitted to being "shaken to the bone" by the accident. This event has reignited scrutiny on Boeing's small plane family, nearly five years after a previous MAX safety crisis prompted by fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Sharp drop in Boeing's shares
On Tuesday, Boeing witnessed a 1.4% drop in shares following United Airlines' decision to cancel 225 daily flights, constituting 8 per cent of its total, and Alaska Airlines cancelled 109 flights, equivalent to 18 per cent of its total flights. Similar cancellations were anticipated for Wednesday. During this period of uncertainty, Boeing CEO Calhoun reassured employees that the company is committed to ensuring the safety of every aircraft taking to the skies.
Boeing CEO praises Alaska Airlines crew
Calhoun also commended the Alaska Airlines crew for their prompt actions in safely landing the 737 MAX 9 plane, resulting in only minor injuries to the 171 passengers and six crew members. Boeing has faced various production challenges since the comprehensive grounding of the 737 MAX family in March 2019, a consequence of two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that claimed nearly 350 lives.
In response to the incident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 planes, leading to numerous flight cancellations. The panel incident involved Alaska Air Flight 1282 and pertained to the replacement of an optional exit door on 737 MAX 9 planes, specifically those utilized by airlines with denser seating configurations.
(With inputs from Reuters)
