Calhoun's statements are Boeing's first public admission of error since the accident that occurred on Friday and caused a large hole in the 737 MAX 9.
Boeing shares fell by 10 percent this week, and had fallen by about 1.5 percent at the end of Tuesday’s session, against the backdrop of United Airlines canceling 225 daily flights, or eight percent of its total flights, while Alaska canceled 109 flights, or 18 percent. Similar cancellations are expected on Wednesday.
The stock suffered severe losses in the Monday session after the accident, by more than 8 percent, and the company lost more than $13 billion of its market value.
Despite admitting the error, the stock suffered losses, but they were slig
ht, in trading after the close of the Wall Street Stock Exchange.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two American companies that use that model that was temporarily grounded, found disassembled parts in similar planes, raising concerns about the possibility of such an accident occurring again.
Informed sources said that Boeing informed employees in a separate meeting that finding a number of loose screws in 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, first, by owning up to 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.”
Flight cancellations continue
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told employees that the company “will make sure that every plane we fly 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.
Boeing has faced many production problems since the complete shutdown of the 737 MAX family in March 2019, which lasted 20 months, following two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed about 350 people.
The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded 171 aircraft after the latest incident, leading to many cancellations.
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.
Despite all these crises, Boeing achieved its aircraft delivery goals, but it ended 2023 behind its competitor Airbus for the fifth year in a row, according to Boeing data and industry sources.
The American company delivered 528 aircraft, while sources reported that Airbus will announce the delivery of 735 aircraft for the year 2023 this week.
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