US President Joe Biden has joked about staying clear of the doors of his AirForce One. The president’s plane is from Boeing and has recently been in the midst of a series of mid-flight mishaps.
“I don’t sit by the door,” he said. This was followed by a quick disclaimer, “I’m only kidding. I shouldn’t joke about that.” His remarks came during a fundraiser.
Biden responded to a question by Stevel Colbert on whether the transport secretary Pete Buttigieg had tightened the bolts on the presidential plane.
Boeing has been under the scanner yet again. In January. Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger jet lost a rear door plug in midflight, terrifying people on board.
The large door plug plummeted into the backyard of a high school science teacher in Portland, Ore. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of similarly configured Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for weeks.. A probe revealed missing bolts from the rear door of the Alaska Airlines jet, adding to concerns about Boeing’s safety protocols.
Shortly after that, a plane in Japan made an emergency landing due to a crack in the cockpit window.
The Federal Aviation Administration reviewed Boeing’s 737 factory near Seattle and gave the company failing grades on nearly three dozen aspects of production. The company has until late May to give the FAA a plan for improvement. In the meantime, the federal agency is limiting production of 737s.
Recently, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced his decision to step down at the end of the year. Calhoun was on the board. Calhoun was on the Boeing board during its worst time — the crashes of two 737 Max planes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
Airline executives have expressed their frustration with Boeing, and even minor incidents involving jets the company produced are attracting extra attention.
Analysts believe rebuilding Boeing will be very hard, and a long road and would need people with technical skill in higher leadership positions
With inputs from AP
