Boeing chooses a retired admiral to lead its aircraft safety assessment team
Boeing has named a retired Navy admiral as a special adviser on issues including the quality of work done at suppliers, as the planemaker responds to an in-flight blowout on one of its planes this month.
Boeing CEO David Calhoun said he has tapped Kirkland Donald for a team that will make recommendations to improve quality oversight at the company’s factories and those of its suppliers.
Before retiring from the military, Donald served as director of the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program for eight years. He is chairman of shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries.
The retired admiral’s appointment was announced a day after the company said it would increase quality controls on its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft following an accident involving an Alaska Airlines plane. A plug used to fill an emergency exit spot blew out while the plane was flying over Oregon on January 5.
The inspections come after federal regulators grounded most Max 9 jets, including all those used by Alaska and United Airlines. A Boeing official said Monday that it’s clear we’re not yet where we need to be in terms of quality assurance and controls.
The door plug that blew off the Alaska plane was installed by a supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, and is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the accident.
Boeing 737 and 787 jets have been plagued by several production issues in recent years that have interrupted the supply of new aircraft to airlines.
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First print: January 17, 2024 | 9:33 am IST