Boeing CEO: ‘We have much to prove’

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said he’s had “tough and direct conversations” in the wake of a door plug blowing out of a 737 Max 9 in flight earlier this month.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said he’s had “tough and direct conversations” in the wake of a door plug blowing out of a 737 Max 9 in flight earlier this month. “While we often use this time of year to share or update our financial and operational objectives, now is not the time for that,” Calhoun said in comments to Boeing employees that were published by the company. The January 5 incident in which a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight has put the company on the defensive once again. Fortunately, no one died, as the crew was able to make an emergency landing within minutes of the hole opening, but the brief flight terrified passengers who had cell phones and clothing ripped outside the plane. It led to a three-week grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 model as inspections discovered problems with the installation of other door plugs. “I’ve had tough and direct conversations with our customers, regulators and lawmakers,” he added. “They are disappointed, and we have much to prove to earn our stakeholders’ confidence.” Calhoun’s statements came as the manufacturer posted another loss for 2023, while failing to provide a 2024 financial outlook that would have included expectations of approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for two new versions of the jet, the longer 737 Max 10 and the shorter 737 Max 7. In the wake of the door plug incident, the FAA has said it will not allow the company to move ahead with planned increases in production of existing models. And two major customers, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, said last week they are pushing back plans indefinitely for deliveries they had been counting on for both models.