CEO Dave Calhoun’s remarks were Boeing’s first public acknowledgment of errors since a so-called door plug snapped off the fuselage of a nearly full 737 MAX 9 on Friday, leaving a gaping hole next to a miraculously empty seat.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun acknowledged errors by the US planemaker as more than 170 jets remained grounded for a fourth day, telling staff the company would ensure an accident like the mid-air Alaska Airlines panel blowout “can never happen again.”
The company’s top planemaking official, Stan Deal, also told a somber town hall meeting at its Renton, Washington 737 factory that Boeing acknowledges “the real seriousness of the accident” as it launches checks into its quality controls and processes.
Calhoun’s remarks were Boeing’s first public acknowledgment of errors since a so-called door plug snapped off the fuselage of a nearly full 737 MAX 9 on Friday, leaving a gaping hole next to a miraculously empty seat.
Calhoun said he had been “shaken to the bone” by the accident, which rekindled pressure on Boeing over its troubled small plane family almost five years after a full-blown MAX safety crisis sparked by deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
“We’re going to approach this, number one, acknowledging our mistake,” Calhoun told employees, according to an excerpt released by Boeing. “We will approach this 100% and be transparent every step of the way.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, two US airlines that used temporarily grounded planes, have found spare parts on similar planes, raising concerns that such an incident could happen again.
At another meeting Tuesday, Boeing told employees that the findings were considered a “quality control issue” and that inspections were being conducted at Boeing as well as at the fuselage supplier. Spirit Aerosystems, sources close to the company said.
They said Boeing had sent written requests to its factories and those of its suppliers to ensure these issues were addressed and to institute broader controls of systems and processes.
Boeing shares fell 1.4% on Tuesday as United canceled 225 daily flights, or 8% of the total, while Alaska Airlines canceled 109, or 18%. Similar cancellations were expected on Wednesday. Calhoun also told Boeing employees that the company will “make sure that every next plane that takes to the skies is truly safe.”
He praised the Alaska Airlines crew for quickly landing the plane, leaving 171 passengers and 6 crew members with only minor injuries.
Calhoun, who was on the Boeing board when all the MAX planes were grounded in 2019, also praised Alaska Airlines for quickly grounding its 737 MAX 9 planes, saying adding that he knew “how difficult it is to land a plane, let alone a crew,” according to sources. speak.
Some industry executives privately criticized Boeing for not grounding their planes more quickly on Saturday. People familiar with the matter said the company was planning to order an inspection when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) intervened with an emergency order for 171 planes to be grounded.
Boeing expressed support for the FAA’s action, and the company’s contrite tone Tuesday contrasted with statements criticized as legal after the 2018 crash of the Lion Air 737 MAX in Indonesia.
US crisis communications expert Paul Oestreicher, who criticized Boeing in 2019 for taking weeks to realize its mistake after the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, said this time Calhoun had ” act much faster, realizing the importance of transparency,” some people expressed. empathy and determination to find solutions.
Boeing declined to comment on Calhoun’s remarks beyond the official excerpt.
Control protocol
The panel that blew up Alaska Air Flight 1282 replaced an optional emergency exit door on the 737 MAX 9 used by airlines with denser seating configurations.
The FAA said Tuesday that Boeing is revising its inspection and maintenance guidelines, which the regulator still must approve before inspections begin. The FAA said it will “conduct a thorough review” and that public safety will determine a timeline for returning the MAX to service.
Boeing ended 2023 behind rival Airbus in aircraft deliveries for the fifth straight year, sources said, after seeing about 50% of its market share eroded by the crisis before. The latest problems could force the FAA to introduce tougher design certification rules for other aircraft models, including changes needed for the smaller MAX 7.
Boeing requested a waiver to allow pre-certification of design changes that analysts say are now less likely.
Two senior industry sources said they expected Southwest Airlines’ scheduled flight to be delayed another six months.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, who took office in October, will testify before Congress next month and may face questions about approval of the 737 MAX. The hearing was being prepared before the incident on the Alaska Airlines flight.
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