Boeing's CEO, Dave Calhoun, acknowledged the company's error in relation to the explosion incident that occurred on an Alaska Airlines aircraft mid-flight, informing employees that the company will work with regulatory authorities to ensure "this does not happen again."
Calhoun's statements mark the first public admission of fault by Boeing since last Friday's incident, which resulted in a large hole in a 737 Max 9 aircraft.
The company's stock continued to decline during Tuesday's trading, dropping by 1.41% to $225.76.
As a result, the company's market value has decreased by $14.11 billion since the incident, based on calculations by Al Jazeera; the stock has fallen from a level of $249 at the close of Friday when the incident occurred.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two American companies that operate this aircraft model, temporarily grounded for flying have discovered loose parts in similar planes, raising concerns about the potential recurrence of such an incident.
According to informed sources quoted by Reuters, Boeing informed employees in a separate meeting that the discovery of several loose screws in aircraft is being treated as a "quality control issue" and that inspections are underway at Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems.
Boeing has instructed its factories and those of its suppliers to ensure such issues are addressed and to conduct a broader examination of systems and processes.
Calhoun assured employees, according to an excerpt published by Boeing, "We will deal with this firstly by acknowledging our mistake. We will deal with it in every aspect with full transparency at every step along the way."
Flight Cancellations
United Airlines cancelled 225 daily flights, or 8% of its total operations, while Alaska Airlines cancelled 109 flights, accounting for 18%. Similar cancellations are expected today due to the incident.
Calhoun also informed Boeing employees that the company "will ensure that every aircraft that flies henceforth is truly safe."
He praised the quick action of the Alaska Airlines crew who managed to land the 737 Max 9 without serious injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members.
Following the recent incident, the FAA has grounded 171 aircraft, leading to numerous flight cancellations.
The exploded panel in Alaska Airlines flight 1282 replaces the optional exit door in the 737 Max 9 models used by airlines that have a larger number of seats.
Boeing, the American company, delivered 528 aircraft, while sources indicate that its competitor, Airbus, is expected to announce the delivery of 735 aircraft for 2023 this week.
Prominent Boeing "Max" Incidents
Max aircraft officially entered service in 2017, and Anadolu Agency noted some of their biggest mishaps and accidents as follows:
2024
On January 5, Alaska Airlines grounded all of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a rear part of a plane exploded, detaching an emergency door plug and forcing an emergency landing.
The flight, which had been carrying 171 passengers and six crew members, returned safely to Portland, Oregon, without any injuries.
2023
In December, Boeing instructed all of its customers to inspect their 737 Max aircraft for a potentially loose screw.
The issue was uncovered after routine maintenance by an international airline revealed a missing nut on the screw that connects the rudder control system during flight.
2019
In March, aviation authorities and airliners around the world grounded Boeing 737 Max aircraft following two deadly crashes of this model, and the ban continued until the end of 2021.
On March 10, an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, killing all 149 passengers onboard.
2018
In October, a Lion Air aircraft of the same model crashed into the sea near Indonesia, with nearly 190 people onboard who all perished, according to local authorities.
Investigators at the time said that the pilots of Lion Air appeared to struggle with an automatic system designed to prevent stalling, a new feature for the Boeing 737 Max.
The investigation results noted that the anti-stalling system was pushing the nose of the aircraft down despite the pilots' efforts to correct the course.
