After the emergency landing of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 due to a panel blowing off mid-flight, an in-house inspection revealed “many” of these aircraft had loose bolts.
Alaska Airlines’ CEO, Ben Minicucci, expressed frustration and disappointment, urging Boeing to enhance their in-house quality programmes. Maybe Alaska Airlines moved too fast away from Airbus, selling all the aircraft inherited with the acquisition of Virgin America.
Additionally, United Airlines, with 31 Boeing 737 MAX 9s expected for delivery in 2024, raised doubts about the timely delivery of all planned aircraft, citing concerns over Boeing’s recent MAX grounding. United’s CFO, Michael Leskinen, hinted at potential order reductions and delivery delays, impacting their 737 MAX 10 orders as well.
Boeing faces increased scrutiny and challenges from its airline partners.
