Boeing should accept the fault and make amends in the wake of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9’s mid-air door panel blowout that triggered concerns about the quality standards maintained by the plane maker, its chief executive has said.
Dave Calhoun made the comments during a company-wide meeting called to reinforce safety as the top priority for Boeing after a door plug blew out on a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft last week.
There were 177 people on board the Alaska Airlines plane, which had to make an emergency landing shortly after departing from Portland International Airport in Oregon.
Boeing chief executive
The flight crew reported decompression issues after the blowout forced the plane to make an emergency landing 20 minutes later. None of those on-board were injured.
“We’re going to approach this, No 1, acknowledging our mistake,” Dave Calhoun told company employees on Tuesday.
“We’re going to approach it with 100 per cent and complete transparency every step of the way.”
Several other senior Boeing executives also addressed company staff from its Renton, Washington, factory where the 737 is assembled, with their remarks broadcast to workers at other locations, according to Bloomberg.
The US Federal Aviation Administration ordered the immediate grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, whose customers include flydubai, Southwest, United, American Airlines, Ryanair, Air Canada, Turkish Airlines and some Chinese airlines.
Regulators around the world say they are “closely monitoring” the situation.
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said that none of the airlines in the Emirates operating the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft were affected.
Boeing's meeting on Tuesday was regarding the plane maker's “response to this accident and reinforcing our focus on and our commitment to safety, quality, integrity and transparency”, Mr Calhoun said.

“We are going to work with the NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] itself who is investigating this incident to see what caused it,” he said.
The company operating out of Arlington, Virginia said it's also in talks with its customers with Mr Calhoun stating that such incidents “shake them to the bone, just like it shook me”.
“I’ve got kids, I’ve got grandkids and so do you,” he said. “This stuff matters. Every detail matters.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Stan Deal, tasked with raising output while also maintaining quality at Boeing’s largest unit, also addressed staff alongside Mr Calhoun.
Mike Delaney, Boeing's chief safety officer, who took charge in the wake of the previous crisis involving the Boeing Max 8 jets that were grounded after two fatal crashes killed a combined 346 people, also spoke at the meeting.
Earlier this week, Boeing issued guidelines on how to conduct inspections, an initial step before the FAA approves a return to flight for 737 Max 9 planes.
United Airlines on Monday said it found loose bolts in Boeing 737 Max jets during inspections.
“Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug – for example, bolts that needed additional tightening,” the company said.
On Monday, the NTSB board chair Jennifer Homendy said that her agency would consider broadening the investigation.
Such a move would bring deeper scrutiny for Boeing and its manufacturing processes, and magnify issues while the US plane maker seeks to get the aircraft back into service, according to a Bloomberg report.
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%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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FIXTURES
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 246hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 365Nm @ 1,200rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km