Boeing CEO apologises, admits 737 fault is ‘our mistake’
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
Boeing chief, Dave Calhoun, told employees that the airline needs to admit its shortcomings and that it plans to work closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to determine and rectify the cause of the issue with its 737 Max 9 jets.
The CEO said: “We’re going to approach this, number one, acknowledging our mistake […] We’re going to approach it with 100% and complete transparency every step of the way.”
Calhoun delivered his statement at an all-hands company meeting that was closed to the media, but obtained by Bloomberg. During the statement, Calhoun appeared to hold back tears as he addressed the potential consequences of the aircraft fault and management of ongoing 737 groundings.
Boeing 737 Max 9 jets grounded by US aviation regulator
The news: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a temporary grounding of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a section of fuselage on an Alaska Airlines plane of that model blew off mid-flight last week.
The numbers: The FAA’s directive is expected to affect approximately 171 jets worldwide.
The context: On Friday last week, the mid cabin door of an Alaska Airlines flight blew out shortly after take-off, causing a rapid decompression of the cabin and leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage. The flight landed at Portland around 20 minutes after take-off, without any serious injuries to passengers or crew.
Airlines across the globe with 737 Max 9 jets in their fleet began to ground the impacted aircraft in the immediate wake of the Alaska Airlines incident, pre-empting action from regulators.
The FAA’s Emergency Airworthiness Directive explains that the agency decided to ground the jets as it believes the fault is likely to exist or develop in other Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.
Boeing’s 737 Max design has faced several problems since its launch, including flawed flight control software which led to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, resulting in an 18 month grounding of the 737 Max fleet. Issues have continued to arise, with the FAA calling on airlines to inspect the rudders on 737 Max aircraft for a loose bolt in late December.
The source: Federal Aviation Administration Statement
