United Airlines is just about done with Boeing. Scott Kirby, CEO of the company, told CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday morning that the manufacturing defects that have grounded the latest Boeing 737-9 MAX is the “the straw that broke the camel’s back for us. We’re going to at least build a plan that doesn’t have the Max 10 in it.””
United, the second-largest airline in the world, will look for alternatives to the 737-10, Boeing’s next version of the 737 which is still in approval stages. Boeing is the world’s second-largest aircraft manufacturer, after European multinational aerospace corporation Airbus, which is 25% owned by the governments of France, Germany, and Spain.
Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing, did not respond to the statement by United’s CEO, but said that the company is “taking action on a comprehensive plan to bring [737-9 MAX] airplanes safely back to service and to improve our quality and delivery performance. We will follow the lead of the FAA and support our customers every step of the way.”
A door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX flight on Jan. 5. The pilot was able to return to Portland safely, even though there was a refrigerator-sized hole in the fuselage, where passengers were terrified, leading to some lawsuits.
United has the biggest fleet of 737-9 MAX planes, although those represent a smaller percentage of overall aircraft for the company than Alaska Airlines, which has 65 of the jets that have been grounded by the FAA, fully 28% of its fleet of 231 jets made by Boeing.
The 737-10 MAX is the largest model of the 737, but has yet to be certified by the FAA.
Kirby said the 737-10 MAX plane is already about five years delayed, in the best-case scenario, and expressed frustration at Boeing for the most recent manufacturing problem in which a door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight.
Kirby has been roasted on social media after a video surfaces of him dress in garish women’s garments, dancing and performing in drag in an outdoor public setting. Critics say United has gone down the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion” rabbit hole, as have other airlines that have focused on LGBTQ issues and racial quota hiring practices.
Even Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas took to X/Twitter to give his opinion on United’s loss of credibility:
Bad maintenance practices by the union shops does not translate to a fault of Boeing.
The doorframe assembly is supplied by a non-union subcontractor in Tulsa Oklahoma. Boeing saved $$$$ by subcontracting work to non-union suppliers
The doors in question were not properly secured by the end user. Did you miss that? Even some that have been in the fleet for years. The FAA seems to be complicit as well.
Frankly both sides suck.
Hey that’s funny, because so do you!
I don’t want to fly on Boeing airplane.
The subcontractor that supplied the bolts, nuts, and Door and Boeing, who assembled it, need to review their policies and be a little bit more complete
The truth is since Boeing bought out McDonnell Douglas the company culture changed form engineering to bottom line profits. To compete with the Airbus A-320 Boeing had to either spend a bunch of $$$$ to re-engineer a new plan, or modify a smaller airframe with newer and more powerful engines and make more $$$$’s.
This is the result and it is reflected in Boeing’s share price
Mr. Crenshaw, I vote with dollars. I will never fly United Airlines. Your video, and Phillips’ attitude amplify my reasons, namely: I don’t believe United Airlines gives one iota of a care about the people who fly them. I hold that their customers are purely numbers, data points, and part of United’s machine. Good riddance
But Phillip is black! Get with the DEI agenda you racist!
So, Dread Pirate McCain is speaking out? Crenshaw isa Rino’sRino, and is not trustworthy
Regardless of his RINO status, this type behavior from both the agent and the DEI hire are unacceptable. The agent had no business trying to remove that dog from the carrier and the DEI hire went straight to escalating the situation by starting out that he deals with “people like you” on a daily basis. Neither have any business having a job dealing with the public, as they are ill suited to act in a professional manner. You’d think they would have learned a lesson after that assault on the doctor from Kentucky, which was settled to the tune of $140,000,000.
Chuckie, your info on and opinion of Rep Crenshaw is bogus. How do YOU define RINO? Anyone who dares to even speak to the other side? Do you really want a dictatorship of the political Right? Be slow to speak friend, and slower still to label and slander. I’m tired of the leftward drift too – made worse by the extremism of the lefties and being forced to compromise by the nature of our political system with the extremists… But labeling allies as enemies is not helpful and off topic. Those who stand to gain from Boeing’s woes are making use of the “crisis”, not letting an opportunity go to waste. Boeing is a fine corporation with fine products. I’m taking advantage of their low stock price to invest, knowing that the stock will recover. Will Boing go bankrupt? Not a chance – gummint will keep a key defense contractor afloat. Meanwhile, this will work out for everyone’s benefit.
I lived in his district before I moved up here. eyepatch promises lots then delivers the opposite. He is busy cashing in on insiderinfo.
The passenger airliner industry has had a critical shortage of A&P licensed mechanics for 35 years. Low pay for maintenance is at the root. The FAA has allowed non licensed mechanics to fill in at even lower wages, many of them illiterate migrants. The government has decided that the airline industry is too important to fail and the labor unions agree. To blame the manufacturers is a horrible policy, like trying to blame GM when your car wheels fall off after changeover. The cargo airlines don’t have the same problems, since they realize the importance of keeping a good workforce that doesn’t consider an abandoned bag of pretzels a benefit.
What does the cross dressing have to do with Boeing’s s— level of QC?
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