The CEO of United Airlines has announced that the airline will be reviewing its safety training for employees following a series of recent incidents. These incidents include a panel falling off a plane and another jet losing a wheel during takeoff.
CEO Scott Kirby stated that United Airlines will be implementing additional training for pilots starting in May, as well as making changes to the training curriculum for newly hired mechanics. In a memo to customers, Kirby emphasized that safety is the airline's top priority and reassured travelers that the incidents have prompted a renewed focus on safety.
Kirby mentioned that each recent incident is being reviewed to improve safety training and procedures. While specific details were not provided, Kirby highlighted the planned extra day of training for pilots as one of the measures already in the works.
Some of the recent incidents, though individually minor, have garnered increased attention due to their frequency within a short timeframe. Concerns about air safety have also been heightened following incidents such as a panel detachment on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max at 16,000 feet above Oregon.
In the most recent incident involving United Airlines, a section of fuselage skin detached from a Boeing 737-800 that was built in 1998. Other recent incidents include a hydraulic leak on a flight from Dallas to San Francisco, a maintenance issue causing a return to Australia, an engine fire prompting a return to Houston, and a tire falling off a Boeing 777 during takeoff in San Francisco.
Even on the ground, United Airlines has faced mishaps, such as a jet rolling off a taxiway in Houston and getting stuck in grass. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported in any of these incidents, all of which are currently under investigation by federal officials.
