The CEO of a US airline said internal inspections found “numerous” loose bolts on its Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes.
Ben Minicucci, president of Alaska Airlines, told Sky News partner NBC News that he was “angry” about the incident on January 5 when a panel on one of the airline's planes It exploded in the air On a flight carrying 177 people.
He added: “I am more than frustrated and disappointed.”
“I'm angry. This happened to Alaska Airlines. It happened to our guests and it happened to our people.
“My request to Boeing is what they are going to do to improve their quality programs within the company.”
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The flight suffers a mid-air explosion
Minicucci, who became president of Alaska Airlines in 2016, said he “can't believe” something like the Jan. 5 incident could happen.
This led to new internal inspections at Alaska Airlines that found more loose screws.
“I knew this was an out of the ordinary problem [Boeing] “The factory. There was no doubt in my mind,” he said.
“And it's clear to me that we received an airplane from Boeing with a defective door. And now the NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] “The investigation will find out why the door was defective, whether it was due to poor installation, missing hardware, or a manufacturing issue, but there is no doubt that Alaska received an aircraft off the production line with a defective door,” he said.
After the panel exploded, the US Federal Aviation Administration ordered all Boeing Max 9 aircraft Planes on the ground It launched a safety investigation.
The agency announced an audit Boeing Max 9 production line and suppliers “to evaluate Boeing's compliance with its approved quality procedures.”
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It also subjects Boeing, as well as its third-party suppliers, to greater oversight.
With no word on when the Boeing-built planes could return to service, Alaska Airlines has spent weeks canceling and rearranging its schedule, leaving thousands of passengers scrambling for flights.
United Airlines also said it found additional loose bolts on its Max 9 planes.
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“We have failed our airline customers and deeply regret the significant inconvenience they, their employees, and their passengers have experienced,” Boeing said in a statement.
“We are taking action on a comprehensive plan to safely return these aircraft to service and improve our quality and delivery performance.
“We will follow the FAA’s lead and support our customers every step of the way.”
