‘Progressive decline’ in Boeing’s standards, says Emirates airline president

The head of Emirates airline blasted Boeing for a “progressive decline” in its standards as the company faces investigations over its production line and quality control practices.

Emirates President Tim Clark told the Financial Times in an interview published Sunday that Boeing was in the “last chance saloon.” Boeing has faced scrutiny since one of the company’s 737 Max 9 jets suffered a midair blowout during an Alaska Airlines flight last month, necessitating an emergency landing.

More than 100 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft were temporarily grounded as the planes were inspected due to the incident, but they have since begun returning to the air.

Clark said Boeing needs to “get their manufacturing processes under review so there are no corners cut,” saying the company must instill a “safety culture which is second to none.” Emirates is a major customer of Boeing and made a $52 billion aircraft purchase from the company last November.

“Will Boeing restore itself to its former glory? Of course it will. Will Boeing continue to produce and design great aeroplanes well put together reliable for the customer base? I’m sure they will. But they’ve got to put the house in order at the moment. And this is a major shift in the priorities,” Clark said in the interview.

Clark also told the Financial Times that Emirates would be sending its engineers to supervise the production process of the Boeing 777 at Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems.

“The fact that we’re having to do that is testament to what has happened. This would not have been sanctioned in the old days. You know, we trusted these people implicitly to get it done,” he said.

Boeing revealed Sunday that an issue with its Boeing 737 fuselages may delay the near-term deliveries of about 50 aircraft. Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal said in a letter to employees that while some deliveries may be delayed, the problem “is not an immediate flight safety issue and all 737s can continue operating safely.”

When reached for comment on Clark’s remarks, Boeing referred The Hill to previous comments made by Dave Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO, during the company’s analyst call for fourth-quarter earnings last week.

“We understand why they are angry and we will work to earn their confidence. There’s no message, no slogan that will accomplish that. It’s all about real, demonstrated action and absolute transparency every step of the way,” Calhoun said, talking about customer frustration.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the midair incident on the Alaska Airlines flight, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating whether Boeing failed to ensure its planes complied with the agency’s safety regulations. The FAA will also be looking into the company’s suppliers.