DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – One of Boeing’s biggest customers has issued a call to action to its new management team, expressing frustration over the safety crisis facing the US planemaker and resulting order delays. of
“We’re not really happy with what’s happening, we always wanted to see this aircraft enter the fleet when it was promised – and it’s delayed, it’s just not for us,” Sheikh Ahmed said. Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman. And the CEO of Dubai’s flagship Emirates airline told CNBC’s Dan Murphy at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Tuesday.
With 245 passenger aircraft and five 778 freighters, Emirates is Boeing’s largest customer of wide-body jets. But the manufacturer’s plane deliveries in the first quarter of 2024 fell to the lowest number since mid-2021 as the company faced increased scrutiny after a door plug exploded from one of its 737 Max 9 planes in January. deals with
An Emirates Airlines Boeing 777-31H(ER) takes off from Los Angeles International Airport on January 13, 2021.
Aaronp / Bauer-Griffin | GC Images | Getty Images
The company delivered 83 aircraft in the three months to March 31 – most of which were 737 narrowbodies – compared with 157 in the previous quarter and 130 in the year-to-date period.
Al Maktoum, who heads the world’s largest long-haul airline and helped launch it in 1985, echoed the sentiments of many other airline CEOs when it comes to expectations from Boeing. Gives
“I think they’re going to have to push a lot harder to make sure they deliver what they promise to the customer,” he said.
Asked if he had a message for the aircraft maker, Al Maktoum said: “I always say, you know, get your act together and settle down. And I think they can do that. are.”
CNBC has reached out to Boeing for comment.
The chairman did not indicate whether Emirates would cancel Boeing’s orders or shift them to its French rival. Airbus.
“No, no – I can’t say exactly what we’re planning,” he replied when asked about the possibility of such a move. “But I think what you’re seeing is that we’re renewing a large number of aircraft within the existing fleet. … And there’s not going to be any reduction in capacity at Dubai.”
He cited the airline’s expansion of part of its existing fleet, including larger double-decker Airbus A380s, to help provide ample passenger capacity.
The fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 MAX, which was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage, was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Portland, Oregon, USA. seen during January 7, 2024.
NTSB | By Reuters
A new management team recently appointed at Boeing is now tasked with navigating the company’s worst crisis since 2018-2019, during which two of its new 737 Max jets crashed in a six-month period. destroyed, killing 346 people.
After the Alaska Airlines gate explosion in January, Six-week audit of the Federal Aviation Administration The FAA said in March that Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems “found numerous incidents where the companies allegedly failed to meet manufacturing quality control requirements.” Spirit Aero Systems makes Boeing Max fuselages.
“The FAA identified noncompliance issues with Boeing’s manufacturing process controls, parts handling and storage, and product controls,” it said. The regulatory agency said it notified Boeing’s leadership that it “must address the audit findings as part of its comprehensive corrective action plan to address systemic quality control issues” and its “safety culture.” ” should be resolved.
In an earlier statement to CNBC, a Boeing spokesperson responded to the FAA’s findings by saying the company “continues to develop a comprehensive action plan to implement immediate changes and strengthen safety and quality.” ”
The company’s website says it continues to support the U.S. NTSB and FAA investigations into the Jan. 5 crash.”
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