Loose bolts found in many Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, Alaska Air CEO says
By Mary Schlangenstein
Alaska Air Group Inc. has found loose bolts on “many” of its Boeing Co. 737 Max 9 aircraft after a panel on one of its planes exploded in mid-air earlier this month, the airline’s CEO said in an interview with NBC.
The accident has prompted some “very hard, frank conversations” with Boeing about the plane maker’s operations, Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci told NBC in the interview, which aired late Tuesday.
“I’m angry. I’m beyond frustrated and disappointed,” he said. “My question to Boeing is: What are they going to do to improve their quality programs internally?”
US security authorities ordered a grounding of all Max 9 planes after the January 5 incident, which left a gaping hole in the side of a jet and forced an emergency landing. No one was seriously injured. Minicucci said there was a “guardian angel” on board the flight.
The quality of production at Boeing is under heavy scrutiny in the aftermath of the explosion by regulators, customers and the aircraft manufacturer itself. While Alaska and United Airlines Holdings Inc., another major operator of the Max model, have conducted inspections on some planes, they are waiting for final specifications from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing before the planes can fly again.
“Boeing is better than this,” Minicucci said. “Flight 1282 should never have happened.”
‘I am deeply sorry’
Minicucci’s comments come after Bloomberg reported that United CEO Scott Kirby expressed his frustrations with Boeing management to colleagues and raised concerns about the handling of the grounding.
Boeing “deeply regrets the significant disruption” to airline customers, employees and passengers, the aircraft manufacturer said in a statement. “We are taking action on a comprehensive plan to safely return these aircraft to service and to improve our quality and delivery performance.”
Inspections take about 10 hours per door, Minicucci said. Once the FAA issues final guidance, it will take several days to complete inspections and start flying the planes, he said. Boeing also said it will help Max 9 operators address any findings during the checks.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will meet with senators in Washington, DC, this week, according to people familiar with the meetings. The sessions are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
First print: January 25, 2024 | 12:52 pm IST