‘Progressive decline’ in Boeing’s standards, says Emirates airline president

The head of Emirates Airlines has accused Boeing of “progressively lowering” standards as it faces an investigation into its production lines and quality control practices.

Emirates President Tim Clark told the Financial Times. in an interview Boeing announced Sunday that it was in a “last chance saloon.” Boeing has been under intense scrutiny since one of its 737 Max 9 planes exploded mid-air during an Alaska Airlines flight last month, forcing it to make an emergency landing.

More than 100 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes were temporarily grounded for inspection as a result of the incident, but have since begun returning to flight.

Clark said Boeing needs to “rethink its manufacturing processes to ensure no corners are cut” and that the company needs to instill a “second-to-none safety culture.” Emirates is Boeing’s main customer, purchasing a $52 billion aircraft from the airline last November.

“Will Boeing ever regain its former glory? Of course it will. Will Boeing continue to build and design great, well-organized airplanes that its customer base can rely on? I’m sure they will.” But they now have to get their house in order. And this is a big shift in priorities,” Clark said in an interview.

Clark also told the Financial Times that Emirates plans to send an engineer to oversee the Boeing 777 production process at Boeing and its supplier Spirit Aerosystems.

“The fact that we have to do it is a testament to what happened. We wouldn’t have been allowed to do something like this in the old days. You know, we know these people can make it happen. “I trusted him implicitly,” he said.

Boeing said on Sunday that a problem with its Boeing 737 aircraft could delay near-term deliveries of about 50 planes. Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Diehl said in a letter to employees that while some deliveries may be delayed, the issue “immediately concerns flight safety.” “This is not a problem and all 737 aircraft can continue to operate safely.”

When asked for comment on Mr. Clark’s remarks, Boeing told The Hill that Mr. I was referring to an earlier comment made by one Dave Calhoun.

“We understand why they are angry and we will work to gain their trust. There are no messages or slogans to achieve it. At every step, we will demonstrate real-world actions and absolute It’s all about transparency,” Calhoun said of customer complaints.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the Alaska Airlines mid-air crash, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating whether Boeing complies with the agency’s safety regulations for its planes. The FAA also plans to investigate the company’s suppliers.