United Airlines CEO vows review of recent safety incidents
FILE PHOTO: United Airlines planes, including a Boeing 737 MAX 9 model, are pictured at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Loren Elliott//File Photo
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By Rajesh Kumar Singh
CHICAGO (Reuters) – United Airlines is reviewing recent safety incidents in which it has been involved and using the insights to update safety training and procedures for employees, CEO Scott Kirby (NYSE:KEX) said on Monday.
The Chicago-based airline has experienced several safety emergencies in the past two weeks. Last Friday, an external panel was found to missing from a United aircraft when it landed in Oregon, prompting an investigation by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Before that incident, a United Airlines-operated Boeing (NYSE:BA) 737 MAX rolled onto the grass in Houston. A United-operated Boeing 777-200 bound for Japan also lost a tire after takeoff from San Francisco and was diverted to Los Angeles, where it landed safely.
In a message to United’s customers, Kirby expressed confidence that the airline would learn the “right lessons” and “continue to run an operation that puts safety first.”
“While they are all unrelated, I want you to know that these incidents have our attention and have sharpened our focus,” he said.
Kirby said United plans to have an extra day of in-person training for all pilots starting in May, and a centralized training curriculum for new-hire maintenance technicians.
The airline is dedicating more resources to supplier network management and encouraging employees to flag safety-related issues, he said.
“Safety is our highest priority and is at the center of everything we do,” Kirby said.
In the aftermath of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency prompted by a door plug blowout, U.S. aviation incidents are getting more attention.
Boeing has been under heavy regulatory scrutiny after the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines incident, with inquiries into the company’s safety and quality standards in its production process.
