Emirates president says Boeing needs to be led by engineers | Wilnesh News

Emirates President Tim Clark said in comments on Wednesday that Boeing needs to be led by engineers if it wants to emerge from the current crisis.

The U.S. aerospace giant has once again found itself embroiled in controversy after a series of recent in-flight technical failures, starting with a door panel blowing off a new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in mid-air on January 5.

The plane maker is now under closer scrutiny from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Justice, with the former limiting production of Boeing 737 aircraft to 38 aircraft per month while investigating its manufacturing practices. On January 6, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all 737-9 Max aircraft with door jams.

“To solve Boeing’s problems, the company needs strong engineering leadership at its head, combined with a governance model that prioritizes safety and quality,” said Clark, the head of Dubai’s flagship airline Emirates.

“It’s no surprise that the Machinists Union wants a seat on the board, just to ensure that the voice of the factory floor is an important part of the decision-making process and fully integrated into the risk management strategy of the governance model.”

Aviation analysts and former Boeing employees criticized reports that engineers from the company’s top management were excluded. They noted that among Boeing’s top executives, the only person with an engineering background is outgoing Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal, as part of a major management shakeup at the company announced Monday. He is retiring and will be replaced.

Boeing Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Pope takes Deere’s place. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will also step down at the end of 2024.

“Only time will tell whether this changing of the guard can once again solve Boeing’s problems, but unfortunately, time is not on their side,” Clark said. “I would suggest some serious lateral thinking soon.”

CNBC has reached out to Boeing for comment.

Before the Alaska Airlines incident, the planemaker was thought to be recovering from the 2018-2019 crisis, during which two of its new 737 Max jets crashed within six months, killing 346 people.

The 737 Max has since been grounded around the world for nearly two years, and a subsequent investigation found design problems with the plane, inadequate pilot training for the new model and withholding information from safety regulators, leading to a multi-billion dollar fine. fine. Boeing and senior management underwent a shakeup.

But following the Alaska Airlines door blowout in January, FAA six-week review According to a March 4 press release from the FAA, Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems “identified multiple instances in which the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”

“The FAA identified noncompliance issues with Boeing’s manufacturing process controls, parts handling and storage, and product controls,” the statement read. The regulator said it notified Boeing leadership that “the findings of the audit must be communicated as part of its comprehensive corrective action plan to address systemic quality control issues” and address its “safety culture.”

In a statement previously cited by CNBC, a Boeing spokesperson said in response to the FAA’s findings that the company would continue to “immediately implement changes and develop a comprehensive action plan to enhance safety and quality.”

“We are focused on taking significant, clear transparency action at every step,” the spokesperson said.

—CNBC’s Joan Muwahed contributed to this report.