Boeing gathered with representatives from every corner of the global aviation industry on Wednesday to defend the safety of its 737 Max commercial jetliner after a global grounding. It also offered more information about its software and training fixes in the aftermath of two deadly crashes.
In its most detailed briefing yet, Boeing executives took a conciliatory tone about the loss of life but rejected calls for a broader investigation of the company’s relationship with its regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration.
Officials from the Chicago-based aerospace giant defended the embattled 737 MAX as the culmination of 50 years of aircraft development in which safety has been the first priority. They also pushed back on the idea that something is inherently wrong with the aircraft development system Boeing and the FAA have in place, something that is the subject of congressional inquiries, a Department of Transportation panel and a criminal investigation.
In an office park just a few miles from its 737 assembly plant, Mike Sinnett, Boeing vice president of engineering and chief project engineer for the 737 program, said the company had been “deeply affected by the tragic loss of life” in Ethiopia.
“We are going to do everything we can to make sure that accidents like this never happen again,” Sinnett told a packed room of 67 media professionals.
The statement echoed one from Chief Executive Douglas Muilenburg in the days after the first Max 8 crash in Indonesia last October.
Sinnett on Wednesday defended the 737 as a tried-and-tested aircraft with safety standards honed through decades of continuous improvement.
“The 737 is a safe airplane,” Sinnett said. “The 737 family is a safe airplane family, and the 737 MAX builds on that history of safety that we have seen for almost 50 years.”
The briefing occurred before the company met with more than 200 pilots, technical leaders, airline representatives and regulators ― all of whom have a stake in the 737 Max, which has been forbidden to fly passengers in the United States, Europe and China for almost two weeks.
Boeing was working to drum up support for a flight control system overhaul and a new pilot training regimen that it hopes will allay safety concerns raised by pilot groups and others. It plans to submit the final software fixes to the Federal Aviation Administration for review this week, something that could hasten the process of lifting the FAA grounding order.
It is the second such meeting Boeing has held in Renton in the past week.
“This is part of our ongoing effort to share more details about our plan for supporting the safe return of the 737 Max to commercial service,” a Boeing spokesman said in a statement. “We had a productive session this past Saturday and plan to reach all current and many future MAX operators and their home regulators. At the same time, we continue to work closely with our customers and regulators on software and training updates for the 737 Max.”
The 737 Max is the subject of a criminal investigation and a congressional inquiry.
27/03/19 Aaron Gregg/Douglas MacMillan/Julia Duin/Washington Post/Press Herald
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In its most detailed briefing yet, Boeing executives took a conciliatory tone about the loss of life but rejected calls for a broader investigation of the company’s relationship with its regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration.
Officials from the Chicago-based aerospace giant defended the embattled 737 MAX as the culmination of 50 years of aircraft development in which safety has been the first priority. They also pushed back on the idea that something is inherently wrong with the aircraft development system Boeing and the FAA have in place, something that is the subject of congressional inquiries, a Department of Transportation panel and a criminal investigation.
In an office park just a few miles from its 737 assembly plant, Mike Sinnett, Boeing vice president of engineering and chief project engineer for the 737 program, said the company had been “deeply affected by the tragic loss of life” in Ethiopia.
“We are going to do everything we can to make sure that accidents like this never happen again,” Sinnett told a packed room of 67 media professionals.
The statement echoed one from Chief Executive Douglas Muilenburg in the days after the first Max 8 crash in Indonesia last October.
Sinnett on Wednesday defended the 737 as a tried-and-tested aircraft with safety standards honed through decades of continuous improvement.
“The 737 is a safe airplane,” Sinnett said. “The 737 family is a safe airplane family, and the 737 MAX builds on that history of safety that we have seen for almost 50 years.”
The briefing occurred before the company met with more than 200 pilots, technical leaders, airline representatives and regulators ― all of whom have a stake in the 737 Max, which has been forbidden to fly passengers in the United States, Europe and China for almost two weeks.
Boeing was working to drum up support for a flight control system overhaul and a new pilot training regimen that it hopes will allay safety concerns raised by pilot groups and others. It plans to submit the final software fixes to the Federal Aviation Administration for review this week, something that could hasten the process of lifting the FAA grounding order.
It is the second such meeting Boeing has held in Renton in the past week.
“This is part of our ongoing effort to share more details about our plan for supporting the safe return of the 737 Max to commercial service,” a Boeing spokesman said in a statement. “We had a productive session this past Saturday and plan to reach all current and many future MAX operators and their home regulators. At the same time, we continue to work closely with our customers and regulators on software and training updates for the 737 Max.”
The 737 Max is the subject of a criminal investigation and a congressional inquiry.
27/03/19 Aaron Gregg/Douglas MacMillan/Julia Duin/Washington Post/Press Herald
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