Alaska Airlines leader 'more than disappointed' with Boeing

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said new internal inspections of the Boeing 737 Max 9 planes the airline is operating show that "many" have loose bolts.

"I'm beyond disappointed and frustrated. I'm angry [...] My question to Boeing is what are they going to do to improve their quality control programs," Minicucci said in an exclusive interview with NBC News.

Mr. Minicucci's statement was made in the context of Alaska Airlines on January 5 recording an incident of mid-air fuselage separation of a 737 Max 9 manufactured by Boeing (USA).

Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft

Following the incident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all Boeing Max 9 aircraft and launched a safety investigation. The agency also announced an inspection of the Max 9 production line and Boeing suppliers "to assess Boeing's compliance with approved quality procedures."

The FAA is requiring Boeing and its third-party suppliers to step up their oversight of inspections. The incident has also prompted lawmakers to question whether Boeing's quality control system is adequate.

Airplane door exploded in mid-air, US temporarily grounded 171 737 MAX 9s

Mr Minicucci said it was Boeing's responsibility now to show how it would improve quality control and prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

But to be sure, Mr. Minicucci said Alaska Airlines is incorporating its own additional oversight of the production line at Boeing.

Meanwhile, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC on January 24 that they are currently planning to remove the Boeing 737 Max 10, a newer version of the Boeing 737 Max 9, from their fleet.

United Airlines also said it found additional loose bolts on its Max 9 aircraft.

Boeing told NBC News that it had disappointed its customers and was deeply sorry for the significant disruption. Boeing is working on a comprehensive plan to safely return the planes to service and improve delivery quality and efficiency. Boeing has lost 19% of its market capitalization over the past month.

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