In current weeks, United Airways has been within the information for a collection of incidents and accidents. For instance, inside 24 hours, a United 777 misplaced a wheel whereas taking off from San Francisco, whereas a United 737 suffered a gear collapse whereas touchdown in Houston.
This has been getting fairly a little bit of media consideration, with many questioning if there’s an even bigger security downside at United. The corporate’s CEO has now penned an open letter to clients…
Scott Kirby chimes in on current plane incidents
United CEO Scott Kirby has simply revealed an open letter to clients, concerning various current incidents which have gotten fairly a little bit of media consideration. Let me simply share the letter in full, as I discover it to be fairly fascinating (although it doesn’t truly say a complete lot):
Of all of the issues that make me pleased with our staff at United Airways, I’m most pleased with the tradition we’ve constructed across the security of our staff and our clients.
Security is our highest precedence and is on the heart of the whole lot we do.
Sadly, previously few weeks, our airline has skilled various incidents which are reminders of the significance of security. Whereas they’re all unrelated, I need you to know that these incidents have our consideration and have sharpened our focus.
Our staff is reviewing the main points of every case to know what occurred and utilizing these insights to tell our security coaching and procedures throughout all worker teams. This isin addition to some modifications that had been already deliberate, together with an additional day of in-person coaching for all pilots beginning in Might and a centralized coaching curriculum for our new-hire upkeep technicians. We’re additionally dedicating extra assets to provider community administration.
We empower our staff to talk up and lift their hand in the event that they see one thing incorrect. You might be assured that each time a United aircraft pulls away from the gate, everybody on our staff is working collectively to maintain you secure in your journey.
Prior to now few years, we’ve performed so much at United to construct a brand new tradition, enhance our enterprise and earn your belief. I’m assured that we’ll be taught the suitable classes from these current incidents and proceed to run an operation that places security first and makes our staff and clients proud.
Thanks for flying United, and I hope to see you onboard quickly.
What ought to we make of United’s current security incidents?
If there’s one factor the airline business deserves credit score for (properly, with just a few exceptions), it’s the unwavering dedication to security. Airways may not be capable of get you your baggage on-time, or serve you a good meal, or offer you good service, however they will get you out of your origin to vacation spot in a secure method. Hundreds of thousands of individuals journey by air in america day by day, and security is one thing we principally take as a right.
With that in thoughts, what has been occurring recently at United, and why has the airline had a collection of incidents, which definitely look regarding? I believe there are some things at play right here.
For one, I believe plenty of this comes right down to the media (together with conventional media and social media):
- With the Boeing 737 MAX fiasco, there’s growing reporting on any incident involving a Boeing plane, no matter whether or not or not it’s the MAX
- On social media, you’ve got some folks (who’re being amplified) making an attempt to push the narrative that each single plane incident is due to “DEI” (which, for these of you exterior america, it stands for “range, fairness, and inclusion,” and it has develop into a giant political subject in current occasions)
- Each single day there are dozens of minor incidents that occur with industrial plane, and so they not often get reported on; so when folks instantly see a bunch of those incidents reported, they assume that one thing will need to have modified, even when it didn’t
Now, there are most likely additionally another elements at play:
- United has the oldest fleet of the “large three” US carriers, and whereas older plane are completely secure, it’s additionally common for them to have extra incidents over time; for instance, you’ll discover much more tales involving 767s than you’ll discover involving 787s
- The business general undoubtedly has a “juniority” downside, the place you’ve got much more junior pilots, mechanics, air site visitors controllers, and many others., than earlier than the pandemic, and there’s no denying that the shortage of expertise eliminates a security cushion (although that’s true of all the business, and never simply at United)
I do assume the above elements clarify a overwhelming majority of the notion of what’s occurring right here. Now, is there extra to this? Does United have some tradition downside not discovered at American and Delta, or can current incidents simply be defined as unhealthy luck?
Truthfully, that’s past my pay grade. I believe United’s document of transporting folks safely speaks for itself. Except I’m lacking one thing, the airline hasn’t had a deadly mainline accident since 9/11. Given the dimensions of United, I can’t think about something has particularly modified in current weeks or months. So I’m inclined to consider that is simply unhealthy luck mixed with these tales being amplified, although I’m open to being corrected there by those that are extra knowledgable!
Backside line
United Airways CEO Scott Kirby has penned an open letter to clients, following a collection of current security incidents. He doesn’t say something groundbreaking, however quite simply appears to be acknowledging the media protection of this, and states that the airline is dedicated to working safely.
I believe a majority of what’s occurring right here is that something involving Boeing plane is getting much more consideration. Maybe there’s a little bit extra to this that makes it United particular, however I’d really feel completely secure flying with the airline…
What do you make of United’s current security incidents?
