A group of airline CEOs have demanded a meeting with Boeing amid growing safety concerns following a series of recent “incidents.”
Airline chiefs have requested a meeting with the airline’s board of directors to discuss concerns following the alarming Alaska Airlines incident when a door plug exploded from a Boeing 737 MAX in midair. flight on January 5.
Executives plan to discuss the growing impact of the traumatic event and see what Boeing has planned to address future problems as early as next week.
In response, the company decided to send Chairman Larry Kellner and other board members to meet with airline executives, but David Calhoun, Boeing’s CEO, is not expected to attend.
A Boeing official said The Wall Street Journal that even though Calhoun will not be present, he still “supports” and “encourages” the meetings.
Airline chiefs plan to discuss their concerns following the alarming incident at Alaska Airlines when a door plug exploded from a Boeing 737 MAX mid-flight on January 5.
Boeing decided to send Chairman Larry Kellner and other board members, but CEO David Calhoun is not expected to attend.
Federal officials spent days searching for the plane’s lost parts to help with their investigation. (photo: the gaping hole in the Alaska Airlines flight after the door explosion)
“We have been actively focused on listening to our customers at every level of our business,” the statement said.
It’s unclear which airline CEOs will be at the meeting, but Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United and Southwest Airlines are among the largest users of the Boeing 737 MAX.
Boeing’s stock prices have fallen over the past year following a number of incidents. On Thursday, the company’s stock price hit $187.78.
Shortly after the Alaska Airlines flight took off in January, part of the door “plug” exploded at 16,000 feet and fell to the ground. The plane was forced to make a painful emergency landing as passengers thought they were saying goodbye to their loved ones.
Federal officials spent days searching for the plane’s lost parts to help with their investigation. Authorities also ordered similar planes to be grounded while they investigate.
The missing door stopper was found by a Portland school teacher in his backyard on Sunday, days after the incident.
Federal investigators said data from the onboard voice recorder was lost because it was not reset within two hours of the emergency landing.
Cockpit voice recorders can be found on all aircraft and are there to capture the voices of the flight crew and all sounds in the cockpit.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators hailed the miracle that allowed all 171 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 737-9 Max to survive.
The plane was also banned from flying after its cabin pressure warning lights flashed on three previous flights.
Another bizarre incident took place with a Boeing-built plane on March 15, as the plane had to be grounded after it was missing a panel. Pictured: The missing part on the 25-year-old Boeing 737-824.
Boeing’s stock prices have fallen over the past year following a number of incidents. On Thursday, the company’s stock price hit $187.78.
The terrifying incident sparked massive speculation surrounding Boeing, with the airline having since questioned the company’s production quality controls.
The situation also sparked a criminal investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB recently claimed that previous records of the door being repaired during rivet repairs in September 2023 could not be located.
The commission found that Boeing deleted security footage showing “repairs” made on an Alaska Airlines flight just months before the door flew off.
Another bizarre incident occurred on March 15 with a Boeing-built plane, as the plane had to be grounded after it was found to be missing a panel.
The plane, a Boeing 737-824, landed successfully at Medford Airport in Oregon, despite the missing part.
No injuries were reported, Jackson County Airport Director Amber Judd said, adding that the flight originated from San Francisco.
United Airlines, meanwhile, issued a statement confirming that all 139 passengers and six crew members on board were safe.
It read: “This afternoon, United Flight 433 landed safely at its intended destination at Rogue Valley/Medford International Airport.”
“After the plane was parked at the gate, it was discovered that an exterior panel was missing.”
“We will conduct a thorough examination of the aircraft and make any necessary repairs before returning it to service.”
“We will also carry out an investigation to better understand how this damage occurred.”
United then revealed that it was the wing fairing on the body that had torn off: a part is located under the plane, where the wing meets the body of the plane.
The panel sits right next to where the landing gear deploys and serves as a protective shell between the wing and fuselage.
On March 7, a 256-pound wheel fell from another United Airlines plane shortly after takeoff in San Francisco and crushed parked cars below as it fell to the ground.
United Airlines Flight 35 departed San Francisco Airport for Osaka, Japan and had barely left the runway when the wheel of the Boeing 777-200 came off.
In the latest incident in San Francisco, several vehicles in the employee parking lot were severely damaged by a falling wheel that also mangled a fence.
The plane landed safely at LAX around 1:20 p.m. without further incident or injuries on the ground.
On March 7, a 256-pound wheel fell from another United Airlines plane shortly after takeoff in San Francisco and crushed parked cars below as it plummeted to the ground.
Cars can be seen smashed by the heavy wheel that fell from the United Airlines flight that left San Francisco airport heading for Osaka, Japan.
Chief Financial Officer Brian West, seen here with his wife Sheri West, told a Bank of America conference that the company would spend between $4 billion and $4.5 billion to address growing concerns.
“The 777-200 is equipped with six tires on each of the two main landing gear struts. The aircraft is designed to land safely with missing or damaged tires,” United said.
A new plane was dispatched to take passengers to Japan from LAX.
Calhoun later apologized for his company’s many mistakes and said Boeing was working with regulators and customers to address growing concerns.
He has been CEO of the aircraft manufacturer since 2020 and a member of the board of directors since 2009, according to the company’s website.
“Calhoun has extensive expertise in a wide range of strategic, commercial, security and regulatory issues across multiple industries, through his leadership, management and operational experience,” his biography states.
Recently, Brian West, Boeing’s chief financial officer, told a Bank of America conference that the company would spend between $4 billion and $4.5 billion to address growing concerns.
West disputed that this figure was “higher than we initially forecast in January” and said it would produce less than the maximum of 38,737 planes allowed each month.
This is due to a combination of lower deliveries, lower production volumes in its trading division as well as some pressure on working capital.
West said: “We’re going to deliberately slow down to get it right. It was we who made the decision to constrain prices on the 737 program. And we will feel the impact over the coming months.
It will also take longer for Boeing to reach its 2022 target of around $10 billion in annual cash flow by 2025 or 2026.