United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby expressed optimism about Boeing's recovery after a gathering with the manufacturer's latest CEO.
It is a positive change after all by the top of United, a top Boeing customer who has been probably the most publicly angered by the plane maker's problems which have led to delays within the delivery of dozens of planes.
Kirby and Boeing's latest CEO Robert “Kelly” Ortberg met for lunch within the Dallas area earlier this week. Kirby said in a LinkedIn post on Thursday, he said he was “not only encouraged by what I've heard, but I also came away with renewed confidence that Boeing is on the right track and will recover faster than most expect.”
According to the manufacturer's website, United has 484 open orders with Boeing.
Ortberg also scored American Airlines CEO Robert Isom earlier this week, in line with an individual aware of the matter who was not authorized to talk to the media.
Ortberg, who previously led industrial and defense contractor Rockwell Collins and has greater than 30 years of experience within the aerospace industry, took the helm at Boeing every week ago and spent a part of his first day on the Boeing 737 factory in Renton, Wash. Ortberg can be based in Seattle, a change from his previous bosses.
“His engineering background at Rockwell Collins, combined with his instinct to be close to his frontline teams in Seattle, makes for a winning combination,” Kirby wrote Thursday. “It was clear from our conversation that he is 100% committed, understands the cultural changes needed to turn things around for the better, and listens to his employees and customers.”
United and other major customers corresponding to Southwest Airlines are battling aircraft delays as Boeing tries to recuperate from its recent safety crisis following a defective door stopper on a Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 at the start of the yr.
No one was seriously injured within the accident, which occurred since the screws that hold the door stopper in place had not been installed before the airline received the plane. However, the accident was preceded by quite a few other manufacturing defects on Boeing aircraft.
“After speaking with our customers and industry partners leading up to today, I can tell you that without exception, they all want us to succeed,” Ortberg said in a message to employees on his first day on the job last Thursday. “In many cases, they NEED us to succeed.”
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