On Tuesday, Boeing’s CEO, David Calhoun, admitted that the company, specialising in aircraft manufacturing, had made a production error regarding its parts supplied to Alaska Airlines, after a part of the wall on a weeks-old 737 Max 9 aircraft detached mid-flight. In a video shared with CNN, Calhoun emphasised the company’s commitment to “absolute transparency” and pledged collaboration with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the incident thoroughly.
Boeing and Alaska Airline flight mistake causes share price to drop
This acknowledgment comes amid a significant drop in Boeing’s stock, with a decline of 8% on Monday and an additional 1.5% on Tuesday, raising concerns among investors about potential business repercussions.
The incident forced an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the temporary grounding of most Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft worldwide for investigation, affecting around 171 planes.
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No fatalities or serious injuries occurred, a fact acknowledged by Calhoun during the meeting. He commended the Alaska Airlines flight crew for their commendable handling of the situation, expressing gratitude for their dedication and professionalism.
The meeting, held at the 737 Max factory in Renton, Washington, underscored the seriousness of the situation by appointing the Chief Safety Officer, namely Mike Delaney, to oversee the 737 Max fleet.
President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation, with the White House expressing relief that all passengers and crew from Alaska Airlines flight 1282 are safe. The planes will remain grounded until enhanced inspections by FAA operators are completed.
