United Airlines' chief executive has threatened to eliminate Boeing after the near-catastrophic Alaska Airlines door explosion that grounded the company's Max 9 planes.
United CEO Scott Kirby: “I think the Max 9 grounding was probably the straw that broke the camel's back.'' He spoke on CNBC's “Squawk Box” Tuesday morning.
Kirby lamented the fact that the introduction of the newest 737 Max 10, which has not yet been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, is expected to be delayed by five years (he called this a “best-case scenario”). ).
“At least we're going to come up with a plan that doesn't include Max 10.”
Kirby later said United had no intention of canceling the plane, just removing it from its internal plans.
Kirby's public comments follow people A person familiar with the matter told Reuters. United Airlines this month went “outraged” against a supplier that shares the company's roots.
The airline was forced to ground 79 Max 9 planes on which it was selling seats.
Stan Diehl, head of Boeing's commercial aircraft division, apologized to airlines for the disruption caused by the Alaska Airlines crash.
“We have disappointed our airline customers and deeply apologize for the significant disruption this has caused to our airline customers, employees and passengers,” Deal said in a statement to the newspaper.
“We are taking action on a comprehensive plan to safely return these aircraft to service and improve quality and delivery performance.”
Diehl promised that Boeing will “follow the FAA's guidance and support our customers every step of the way.”
On January 5, the FAA grounded the 737 Max 9 after a door plug erupted during Alaska Airlines Flight 1282's flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California.
United's fleet consists of 79 737 Max 9 aircraft, the most of any airline.
Since the Jan. 5 incident, United Airlines and other U.S. airlines have been forced to delay or cancel dozens of flights.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC he believes the airline made the right decision in moving forward with the Max 10 order.
Although the Max 10 does not have the same type of door plug system as the Max 9, the grounding has delayed regulatory approvals and deliveries of the Max 10, and also curtailed broader plans to increase production. There are growing concerns that this may occur.
After disappointing Max 9 sales, Boeing is betting on its latest offering, the higher-capacity Max 10, to narrow Airbus' A321neo's commanding lead in its busiest market. .
Analysts say the full rollout of the Max lineup is critical for Boeing to stabilize its roughly 40% share of Airbus and generate enough cash to comfortably get through the next decade. ing.
Industry experts say airlines rarely cancel orders for fear of losing deposits, but they often adjust models or use public pressure to win concessions. That's what it means.
with post wire
