United CEO dissapointed with Boeing manufacturing challenges, airlines reconsider the MAX 10

Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA - July 29, 2011: Boeing 787 taxing to runway for takeoff at the Air-Venture airshow.
Edited by Travel Weekly


    Scott Kirby the CEO of United Airlines has revealed his disappointment with the ongoing issues surrounding Boeing’s manufacturing processes though is confident the new ‘MAX 10’ aircraft will be safe.

    “They (Boeing) need to take action,” Kirby told a CNBC reporter in a recent video interview. 

    “I have a lot of confidence in the people at Boeing.

    “There’s great mechanics, great engineers, great storied history.

    “But they’ve been having these consistent manufacturing challenges and they need to take action.”

    Kirby also revealed the carrier believes they are, “best case”, five years behind schedule on the original delivery of its order of Boeing MAX 10 aircraft.

    “We’ve grown increasingly to believe that best case the MAX 10 just gets pushed further to the right,” Kirby continued.

    “So we’d already started working on alternative plans.

    “I think the MAX 9 grounding probably is the straw that broke the camel’s back for us.

    “We’re going to at least build a plan that doesn’t have the MAX 10 in it.”

    CNBC revealed that the CEO of Delta Airlines, Ed Bastien, is confident in taking the first delivery of its 100 strong MAX 10 order, but not until it’s safety is assured.

    “We certainly will not take them ’til we have 1,000 per cent confidence that that plane is fully secure, fully safe … everyone has signed off to that,” Bastien, said.

    Virgin Australia currently has an order for 25 of the new Boeing MAX 10 aircraft.

    Travel Weekly has requested comment from Virgin Australia on its opinion and plans around the Boeing MAX 10 and Kirby’s quotes surrounding United’s plan without the new plane.

    Latest News

    • Destinations
    • News

    APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures

    APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]

    • Cruise
    • Luxury
    • News

    Seabourn announces Western Kimberley Traditional Owners as Godparents of Seabourn Pursuit

    Seabourn has named Western Kimberley Traditional Owners, the Wunambal Gaambera, as Godparents of the ultra-luxury purpose-built Seabourn Pursuit. It is the first cruise line to appoint Traditional Owners as godparents of a ship. Seabourn Pursuit embarks on its inaugural season in the Kimberley region this June. The naming ceremony will take place on Seabourn Pursuit’s […]

    • Luxury

    Malolo Island Resort opens brand new Spa

    Fiji’s Malolo Island has added another string to its bow – opening its $1.3 million day spa on Thursday, 18th April 2024. (Lead Image: matriarch Rosie Whitton with spa staff) Located at the edge of the resort’s luscious patch of tropical rainforest, the new “Leilani’s Spa” adds another level of elevated experiences to Malolo’s already […]