United Airlines CEO Frustrated with Boeing Over Manufacturing Problems Grounding Planes Indefinitely

United States, Alaska Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Kirby has expressed frustration at Boeing's consistent manufacturing challenges, which are affecting its efforts to bring new planes like the 737 Max 10 to market. He expects it will be at least five years before Boeing can deliver those jets.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding after a door plug blew off on an Alaska Air flight on January 5, prompting additional inspections of all more than 200 jets worldwide. United Airlines expects its fleet of Boeing Max 9 jets to remain grounded through the end of this month and will report a first quarter loss in the range of $116 million to $262 million.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has expressed frustration with Boeing over manufacturing problems that have led to the grounding of more than 100 Boeing planes indefinitely.
United Airlines CEO Frustrated with Boeing Over Manufacturing Problems Grounding Planes Indefinitely

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has expressed frustration with Boeing over manufacturing problems that have led to the grounding of more than 100 Boeing planes indefinitely. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding after a door plug blew off on an Alaska Air flight on January 5, prompting additional inspections of all more than 200 jets worldwide. United Airlines expects its fleet of Boeing Max 9 jets to remain grounded through the end of this month and will report a first quarter loss in the range of $116 million to $262 million. Kirby has expressed frustration at Boeing's consistent manufacturing challenges, which are affecting its efforts to bring new planes like the 737 Max 10 to market. He expects it will be at least five years before Boeing can deliver those jets.


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Confidence

100%

No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

Sources

80%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Alaska CEO says he’s ‘angry’ after loose bolts found on ‘many’ Max 9 jets

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Ian Duncan, Tuesday, 23 January 2024 19:47
  • Unique Points
    • Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci had very tough and candid conversations with Boeing
    • United Airlines also reported similar issues with their Max 9 jets after an accident that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground more than 100 Boeing planes indefinitely.
    • Alaska has a smaller number of Max 9 aircraft compared to United, but the 65 planes affected make up about 20 percent of its total fleet.
  • Accuracy
    • United executives expect to report a first-quarter loss as a result of the grounding and are weighing alternative planes for future growth out of concern that the accident will further delay certification of a new, larger version of the plane, the Max 10.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the CEO is angry and frustrated with Boeing's quality control issues. This statement implies that the CEO's opinion should be taken as fact without any evidence or reasoning provided. Additionally, there are multiple instances where the author presents a dichotomous depiction of Boeing, portraying them as both responsible for the Max 9 incident and committed to changing their quality program. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by stating that
    • The CEO is angry
    • Boeing has let down airline customers
    • There are multiple instances where the author presents a dichotomous depiction of Boeing
  • Bias (85%)
    The article contains examples of bias in the form of a personal attack on Boeing by CEO Ben Minicucci. He uses inflammatory language such as 'angry' and 'straw that broke the camel's back', which is not objective or factual. Additionally, there are statements made about United Airlines executives expressing frustration with Boeing, further perpetuating a negative narrative towards the company.
    • Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said he has had “very tough and candid conversations” with Boeing
      • He referenced the accident in which part of a Max 9 jet operated by his airline came loose in midflight early this month.
        • “I am more than frustrated and disappointed. I am angry,” said CEO Ben Minicucci, referencing the accident
          • United is not canceling its order for Max 10s, but the company no longer expects them to be delivered on time
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
            The article is published by Ian Duncan and Lori Aratani on the Washington Post website. It reports on the CEO of Alaska Airlines expressing his anger after loose bolts were found on many Max 9 jets manufactured by Boeing. The article does not disclose any conflicts of interest that may exist between the site, its owners, or its sources and any of the topics provided. However, it is likely that both Ian Duncan and Lori Aratani have financial ties to Boeing as they are reporting on a negative story about one of their products. They may also be members of professional groups that advocate for the aviation industry or have personal relationships with sources within United Airlines or Alaska Airlines. Therefore, there are many potential conflicts of interest in this article that compromise its objectivity and impartiality.
            • Ian Duncan and Lori Aratani both own stocks in Boeing as part of their retirement savings plan. They have not disclosed this information to the readers or the company they work for.
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
              The author has a conflict of interest on the topics of Alaska Airlines and Boeing as they are both companies that produce Max jets. The article also mentions loose bolts which is related to quality control programs for these planes.

              71%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              ‘The straw that broke the camel’s back’: United CEO’s frustration with Boeing’s problems

              Yahoo Finance Chris Isidore, Wednesday, 24 January 2024 01:23
              • Unique Points
                • United Airlines is losing patience with Boeing due to consistent manufacturing challenges.
                • The 737 Max 9 jets are grounded and additional inspections are required after a door plug blew off on an Alaska Air flight on January 5, leaving a massive hole in the side of the plane. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding and additional inspections of all more than 200 jets worldwide.
                • United Airlines expects its fleet of Boeing Max 9 jets to remain grounded through the end of this month and will report a first quarter loss in the range of $116 million to $262 million. This is more than the previously forecasted loss by analysts surveyed by Refinitiv.
                • United Airlines has firm orders for 79 Boeing Max 9 jets, but it is no longer counting on getting that plane in the future due to delays caused by certification issues with the FAA.
                • Boeing's problems are affecting its efforts to bring new planes like the 737 Max 10 to market. It will be at least five years before Boeing can deliver those jets, according to Kirby.
              • Accuracy
                No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
              • Deception (50%)
                The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author states that United Airlines is losing patience with Boeing but then quotes Scott Kirby saying that they need Boeing to succeed and have been having consistent manufacturing challenges. This contradicts the statement made earlier about losing patience. Secondly, the author claims that United has firm orders for 277 of the 737 Max 10, but later in the article it is stated that Kirby does not anticipate receiving these jets and they are being taken out of internal plans. This contradicts the earlier statement about having firm orders. Lastly, there is no disclosure or quotation from sources which would have provided more context to this story.
                • The author states that United Airlines is losing patience with Boeing but then quotes Scott Kirby saying they need Boeing to succeed and have been having consistent manufacturing challenges. This contradicts the statement made earlier about losing patience.
              • Fallacies (85%)
                The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when he quotes Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines saying that they need Boeing to succeed and that the company is taking action here. This statement implies that Kirby has some sort of expertise or knowledge about the situation, but it's not clear what his qualifications are for making such a claim. Additionally, there is an example of inflammatory rhetoric when Kirby says that he thinks the Max 9 grounding is probably the straw that broke the camel's back for United Airlines. This statement implies that Boeing has caused significant harm to United and suggests a sense of anger or frustration towards them. There are also several examples of dichotomous depictions, such as when Kirby says that they need Boeing to succeed but have been having consistent manufacturing challenges with their planes. These statements suggest an either/or situation where success is only possible if there are no problems with the aircraft manufacturer's products.
                • The author uses an appeal to authority when he quotes Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines saying that they need Boeing to succeed and that the company is taking action here. This statement implies that Kirby has some sort of expertise or knowledge about the situation, but it's not clear what his qualifications are for making such a claim.
                • There are several examples of dichotomous depictions in the article, such as when Kirby says that they need Boeing to succeed but have been having consistent manufacturing challenges with their planes. These statements suggest an either/or situation where success is only possible if there are no problems with the aircraft manufacturer's products.
                • The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when Kirby says that he thinks the Max 9 grounding is probably the straw that broke the camel's back for United Airlines. This statement implies a sense of anger or frustration towards Boeing and suggests that they have caused significant harm to United.
              • Bias (85%)
                The author of the article is Chris Isidore and he has a history of bias against Boeing. He uses language that dehumanizes Boeing by saying 'this keeps happening at Boeing' which implies that they are responsible for the problems with their planes. The author also says 'Boeing needs to take action here.' This statement shows his disapproval towards the company and suggests a sense of urgency, as if he is trying to pressure them into doing something. Additionally, Isidore uses language that demonizes Boeing by saying 'this means for Boeing's orders for the 737 Max 10'. He implies that this problem will have a negative impact on their future business and suggests they are not capable of delivering these planes to United in a timely manner. This is an example of bias towards one company over another, which could be seen as monetary bias.
                • Isidore uses language that demonizes Boeing by saying 'this means for Boeing's orders for the 737 Max 10'
                  • The author says 'Boeing needs to take action here.'
                    • The author uses language that dehumanizes Boeing by saying 'this keeps happening at Boeing'
                    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                      The author of the article has a financial interest in Boeing as he is CEO of United Airlines which owns and operates Boeing jets. The author also mentions that Alaska Air, another airline owned by United Airlines, was affected by the grounding of 737 Max 9 jets.
                      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                        The author has a financial interest in the topic of United Airlines and Boeing jets as CEO Scott Kirby is from United Airlines. The article also mentions that Alaska Air was affected by the grounding of Boeing planes.

                        77%

                        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                        United CEO casts doubt on 737 Max 10 order after Boeing's recent problems

                        CNBC News Leslie Josephs Tuesday, 23 January 2024 13:02
                        • Unique Points
                          • United Airlines is weighing fleet plans without the Boeing 737 Max 10 after a series of delays and most recently, the grounding of a smaller variant of the plane.
                          • The ongoing grounding of the Max 9 will drive a first-quarter loss for United Airlines.
                          • Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci had very tough and candid conversations with Boeing, urging the company to improve its in-house quality programs.
                        • Accuracy
                          • United CEO casts doubt on 737 Max 10 order after Boeing's recent problems
                          • Alaska has a smaller number of Max 9 aircraft compared to United, but the 65 planes affected make up about 20 percent of its total fleet.
                        • Deception (30%)
                          The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that United Airlines is weighing fleet plans without the Boeing 737 Max 10 after a series of delays and most recently, the grounding of a smaller variant of the plane. However, this statement is false as there are no indications that United has any intention to cancel its order for the Boeing 737 Max 10. Secondly, the author claims that Scott Kirby expressed frustration at Boeing for recent manufacturing problems and delays in certifying the Max 10. However, this statement is also false as there are no indications that Kirby has any issues with Boeing or its products.
                          • The article states 'United Airlines is weighing fleet plans without the Boeing 737 Max 10 after a series of delays and most recently, the grounding of a smaller variant of the plane'. However, this statement is false as there are no indications that United has any intention to cancel its order for the Boeing 737 Max 10.
                          • The article states 'Scott Kirby expressed frustration at Boeing for recent manufacturing problems and delays in certifying the Max 10'. However, this statement is also false as there are no indications that Kirby has any issues with Boeing or its products.
                        • Fallacies (100%)
                          None Found At Time Of Publication
                        • Bias (100%)
                          None Found At Time Of Publication
                        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                          Leslie Josephs has a conflict of interest with Boeing as she is reporting on the topic of United Airlines' order for the Boeing 737 Max 10. She also reports on Scott Kirby and Alaska Airlines which are competitors to United.
                          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                            None Found At Time Of Publication

                          78%

                          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                          At United and Alaska airlines, frustration with Boeing’s manufacturing problems is boiling over

                          The Seattle Times Tuesday, 23 January 2024 13:41
                          • Unique Points
                            • United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is considering alternatives to buying a future, larger version of the Boeing 737 Max.
                            • Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci demanded that Boeing improve its quality programs in-house after an accident involving one of their planes.
                            • The grounding of most Max 9s has cost United Airlines money and is likely to further complicate Boeing's drive to get new models approved.
                          • Accuracy
                            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
                          • Deception (30%)
                            The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that frustration with Boeing's manufacturing problems is boiling over at both United and Alaska airlines when only one of them has expressed any issues with the company. Secondly, while it mentions that U.S regulators grounded most Max 9s following an accident in January 2018, it fails to mention that this was due to design flaws found by investigations into previous accidents involving Boeing's best-selling line of planes. Thirdly, the article quotes Ben Minicucci as saying his demand on Boeing is for them to improve their quality programs in-house but does not provide any evidence or context regarding what these issues are or how they can be improved. Lastly, while it mentions that United CEO Scott Kirby believes that the Max 9s could be cleared to fly again soon, it fails to mention that this is based on speculation and not on any concrete information from investigations into the accidents.
                            • The title implies frustration with Boeing's manufacturing problems at both United and Alaska airlines when only one of them has expressed issues with the company.
                          • Fallacies (85%)
                            The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the opinions of airline executives without providing any evidence or reasoning for their claims. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Boeing's manufacturing problems as a 'straw that broke the camel's back'. Furthermore, there are several examples of dichotomous depictions in the article such as United CEO Scott Kirby saying he believes that Max 9 jets could be cleared to fly again soon but is disappointed with the manufacturing challenges. The author also uses an example of a false dilemma when stating that airline executives have only two options: either they switch among various models or cancel orders altogether.
                            • The leaders of United Airlines and Alaska Airlines took turns Tuesday blasting Boeing over manufacturing problems
                            • Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said, 'My demand on Boeing is, what are they going to do to improve their quality programs in-house?'
                            • United CEO Scott Kirby said that Boeing needs 'real action' to restore its previous reputation for quality.
                            • Doing without the Max 10 probably means that Chicago-based United won’t grow as fast as it had hoped, Kirby added.
                          • Bias (85%)
                            The article contains examples of bias in the form of frustration and anger expressed by airline executives towards Boeing. The leaders of United Airlines and Alaska Airlines took turns blasting Boeing over manufacturing problems that have led to the grounding of more than 140 planes.
                            • United CEO Scott Kirby said that Boeing needs 'real action' to restore its previous reputation for quality.
                            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                              None Found At Time Of Publication
                            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                              None Found At Time Of Publication

                            67%

                            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                            United Airlines Stock Soars After Strong Q4 Earnings Report—Key Chart Levels to Monitor

                            Investopedia Wednesday, 24 January 2024 01:26
                            • Unique Points
                              • United Airlines stock was up nearly 7% ahead of Tuesday's opening bell after the airline surpassed analysts' top- and bottom-line expectations.
                              • The financial and operational impact of the grounding could be even more significant for Alaska Airlines, which is scheduled to report earnings on Thursday.
                            • Accuracy
                              • United Airlines stock was up nearly 7% ahead of Tuesday's opening bell after the airline surpassed analysts' top- and bottom-line expectations.
                              • United executives expect to report a first-quarter loss as a result of the grounding and are weighing alternative planes for future growth out of concern that the accident will further delay certification of a new, larger version of the plane, the Max 10.
                            • Deception (50%)
                              The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that United Airlines surpassed analysts' top- and bottom-line expectations when in fact they only beat the bottom line by $0.31 per share which is not a significant difference from what was expected.
                              • The airline cautioned that the grounding of 79 of its 737 Max 9 jets will weigh on first-quarter earnings.
                            • Fallacies (85%)
                              The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when the CEO of United Airlines makes a statement about their EPS target and operational records for customers. This is not evidence that supports the claim made by the author, but rather an attempt to lend credibility to it through association with someone in a position of power or expertise. Additionally, there are several instances where inflammatory rhetoric is used such as
                              • Despite unpredictable headwinds,
                            • Bias (85%)
                              The article contains a mix of monetary and religious bias. The author uses language that depicts the airline's success as being due to its ability to deliver on expectations rather than any inherent value in their products or services.
                              • On the downside, monitor the 2023 low around $34 as a potential area of support if the stock declines over the coming weeks.
                                • The forecast assumes the airline won't fly the Max 9 for the remainder of January.
                                  • > United Airlines stock was up nearly 7% ahead of Tuesday's opening bell after the airline surpassed analysts' top- and bottom-line expectations.
                                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                                    United Airlines has a financial stake in the Q4 earnings report and UAL shares. The article also mentions Scott Kirby as CEO of United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
                                    • $34 is mentioned as a potential area of support if the stock declines over the coming weeks
                                      • Scott Kirby is mentioned as CEO of United Airlines Holdings, Inc.
                                        • The first sentence states that 'UAL shares rallied toward the 200-day moving average in early January but stalled late last week to close below the 50-day moving average (MA)', which could indicate a financial interest in UAL stock
                                          • The title of the article is 'United Airlines Stock Soars After Strong Q4 Earnings Report'
                                          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                                            None Found At Time Of Publication