Airplane loses cabin wall
Boeing boss admits “mistake” after emergency landing
January 10, 2024, 7:11 a.m
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The head of the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, Dave Calhoun, admits mistakes after the emergency landing of a plane. Now “complete transparency” should follow. Airlines have discovered further defects in the 737 Max 9 aircraft.
Boeing admits errors for the first time after the emergency landing of a 737 Max 9 due to a cabin wall that broke out during flight. The aircraft manufacturer made a mistake and the company will work with regulators to ensure that something like this “can never happen again,” said CEO Dave Calhoun. He promised “complete transparency” in dealing with the incident.
The two American airlines Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which use these aircraft, discovered loose parts on other aircraft of the affected type after the emergency landing. This has raised new doubts about the design and certification process of Boeing’s best-selling aircraft family, which could lead to a repeat of such an incident.
According to insiders, Boeing told employees that the loose screws found were being treated as a “quality control issue” and that reviews were underway at both Boeing and supplier Spirit Aerosystems. Boeing has directed its factories and those of its suppliers to ensure such issues are addressed and to conduct more comprehensive inspections of systems and processes, people familiar with the matter said.
Aviation authority imposes flight ban
The accident shocked Boeing customers and also shook CEO Calhoun “to the core,” the insiders quoted the company boss as saying. The company will “ensure that every next plane that takes off is safe,” Calhoun promised employees.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 aircraft following the incident, leading to numerous flight cancellations by Alaska and United. The panel, which was removed on Alaska Air Flight 1282 at an altitude of 4,900 meters, replaces an optional emergency exit door on 737 MAX 9 aircraft, which airlines use with denser seating.
Because of the incident, United has to cancel around 225 daily flights and Alaska has to cancel 109 flights from its schedule. Boeing shares fell 1.4 percent on Tuesday.