Boeing to hold 'quality stand down' to address 737 Max issues

Clyde Hughes
·2 min read
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UPI
The Boeing logo hangs from the Boeing Building international headquarters for the Boeing Company, in Chicago on March 31, 2011. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Boeing said workers at its Washington factory will hold a "quality stand down" to address issues with its 737 Max planes.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said Tuesday that all employees "who touch the airplane" will pause for the day Renton, Wash., to "evaluate what we're doing, how we're doing it and make recommendations for improvement."

"Production, delivery and support efforts will pause for a day so teammates can take part in working sessions focused on quality," Deal said.

Additional quality stand downs will be held at other factories and fabrication programs in the coming weeks, Boeing added.

The pause is part of a series of actions the company said it is taking to address concerns with its Boeing 737 Max 9 jets after a "door plug" on one of the aircraft flew off during an Alaska Airlines flight endangering 177 people on board until the made an emergency landing and ultimately led the the Federal Aviation Administration to ground all of the aircraft until safety investigations are completed.

Last week, Boeing named retired U.S. Navy Admiral Kirkland Donald as its special adviser to Boeing President Dave Calhoun to lead their quality revamp efforts.

"We have let down our airline customers and are deeply sorry for the significant disruption to them, their employees and their passengers," Deal said. "We are taking on a comprehensive plan to bring these 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."

The review comes as Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci told NBC News on Tuesday that in-house inspections of the aircraft following the incident found loose bolts in many of the aircraft.

"I'm more than frustrated and disappointed," Minicucci said. "I am angry. This happened to Alaska Airlines. It happened to our guests and happened to our people. And -- my demand on Boeing is what are they going to do to improve their quality programs in-house."

The incident led to increased scrutiny of Boeing, with the FAA earlier this month saying it was moving to expand its oversight of Boeing's production and manufacturing. The agency said that includes an audit of the Boeing 737-9 Max production line and compliance with quality control procedures.

The FAA on Monday recommended that all carriers using 737-900ER jets, which have the same design as the 737 Max 9 conduct their own investigation on the airplanes they own.