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Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted the company made a mistake in connection with an in-flight explosion involving an Alaska Airlines plane, and told employees that the company would work with regulators to ensure “this does not happen again.”
Calhoun’s statements are Boeing’s first public admission of error since the accident that occurred last Friday and caused a large hole in the 737 Max 9 plane.
The company’s shares continued to decline during trading yesterday, Tuesday, recording a 1.41% decline to $225.76.
Thus, the company’s market value has decreased by $14.11 billion since the accident, according to Al Jazeera’s calculations, as the stock has since declined from the level of $249 at the close of Friday at the time of the accident.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two American companies that use that model that was temporarily grounded, found dismantled parts in similar planes, which raises fears that such an accident may be repeated.
Reuters quoted informed sources as saying that Boeing informed employees in a separate meeting that finding a number of loose screws on aircraft was being treated as a “quality control issue” and that inspection was underway at Boeing and the supplier Spirit AeroSystems.
She added that Boeing has ordered its factories and those of its suppliers to ensure that such problems are addressed and to conduct a broader examination of systems and processes.
“We’re going to deal with this by, first, admitting our mistake,” Calhoun told employees, according to an excerpt published by Boeing. “We’re going to deal with it in every aspect and with complete transparency every step of the way.”
Cancellation of flights
United Airlines canceled 225 daily flights, or 8% of its total flights, while Alaska canceled 109 flights, or 18%, and similar cancellations are expected today, as a result of the accident.
Calhoun also told Boeing employees that the company “will make sure that every plane that flies next is actually safe.”
He praised the Alaska Airlines crew who moved quickly to land the plane (737 MAX 9) without serious injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members.
The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded 171 aircraft after the latest accident, which led to the cancellation of many flights.
The panel that exploded on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 replaces the optional exit door on the 737 Max 9 planes used by airlines that have more seats.
It is noteworthy that the American company delivered 528 aircraft, while sources reported that its competitor Airbus will announce the delivery of 735 aircraft for the year 2023 this week.
Most notable Boeing MAX accidents
MAX aircraft officially entered service in 2017, and Anadolu Agency documented their most notable failures and accidents as follows:
2024
On January 5, Alaska Airlines grounded all of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, hours after a rear part of the plane exploded, separating the emergency door plug of one of the planes and forcing it to make an emergency landing.
The flight, which was carrying 171 passengers and 6 crew members, returned safely to Portland, Oregon, USA, without any injuries.
2023
Last December, Boeing instructed all its customers to inspect its 737 MAX aircraft for a possible loose screw.
The story began after periodic maintenance conducted by an international airline, which discovered a missing nut in the screw that connected the rudder control system during flight.
2019
In March 2019, aviation authorities and sector companies in most parts of the world announced that Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were required to remain on the ground after two crashes of that type, and the ban continued until the end of 2021.
On March 10, 2019, the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max plane crashed minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, with 149 passengers on board, all of whom died.
2018
In October 2018, a Lion Air plane of the same type crashed into the sea near Indonesia, carrying approximately 190 people, none of whom survived, according to local authorities.
Investigators said at the time that the Lion Air pilots appeared to be struggling with an automatic system designed to prevent the plane from stalling, a new feature for the Boeing 737 MAX model.
The results of the investigation indicated that the anti-stall system led to the nose of the plane lowering, despite the efforts of the pilots to correct this.
