In his first sit-down interview since the March grounding of the 737 MAX, Boeing CEO Denis Muilenburg has personally apologised for both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.

Speaking to CBS News in his first sit-down interview since the Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 disaster, Muilenburg issued another apology, following his video statement on behalf of Boeing in April.

When asked whether he would put his own family on a 737 MAX, Muilenberg replied: “Absolutely, without hesitation. I’ve been up on two of the flight tests myself with the new software, and I would, in a heartbeat, put my family on a MAX.”

In an exclusive interview with @NorahODonnell, @BoeingCEO apologizes for the 2 deadly crashes involving Boeing’s 737 max planes.

Dennis Muilenburg says the company is learning from the accidents, and vows to make improvements. https://t.co/yZ9q150QLX pic.twitter.com/6PxCw5x9vE

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 30, 2019

“We are sorry for the loss of lives in both accidents,” Muilenburg told CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell. “We are sorry for the impact to the families and the loved ones that are behind, and that will never change, that will always be with us.

“I can tell you it affects me directly as a leader of this company. It’s very difficult,” he said.

Boeing’s apology comes just under two weeks after the aircraft manufacturer revealed that the 737 MAX anti-stall software update was ready to go and that the company was awaiting FAA approval.

Reports surrounding the software update and the meetings that occurred between the FAA and Boeing, as well as key aviation stakeholders, including American Airlines, have revealed that the 737 MAX could return to the skies by late June.

Muilenburg and Boeing have repeatedly stated that once the jet is approved, it will be one of the safest airplanes ever to fly.

“We at Boeing take the responsibility to build and deliver aeroplanes to our airline customers and to the flying public that are safe to fly, and can be safely flown by every single one of the professional and dedicated pilots all around the world. This is what we do at Boeing,” Muilenburg said last month.

We at Boeing are sorry for the lives lost in the recent 737 accidents and are relentlessly focused on safety to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.

Watch the full video here: https://t.co/kZawq35YnZ pic.twitter.com/G9uIHjxsWi

— Dennis A. Muilenburg (@BoeingCEO) April 4, 2019