United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby speaks on June 5, 2019 in Chicago.
Kamil Krsachinsky | Reuters
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has sought to reassure customers about the carrier's safety after a series of flight problems in recent weeks.
In an incident this month, A The tire fell off The carrier's Japan-bound Boeing 777s damaged cars in a San Francisco airport parking lot shortly after takeoff. In another, an old Boeing 737 was found missing from the plane after it landed in Oregon on Friday.
“Safety is our highest priority and at the heart of everything we do,” Kirby said in an email to customers. “Unfortunately, our airline has experienced several incidents over the past few weeks that remind us of the importance of safety.”
Kirby said the incidents the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating are all “unrelated,” but the team is reviewing the details “and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups.”
The latest crashes come amid heightened scrutiny by the aviation industry after a door plug panel blew off Alaska Airlines' nearly new Boeing 737 Max 9 on Jan. 5.
A United Airlines flight.
Source: NBC Houston KPRC2+
On March 8, a United 737 Max skidded off a Houston runway. On March 4, a United Boeing 737 en route from Houston to Florida returned to the airport after the engine consumed plastic bubble wrap, and a video on social media showed flames shooting from the engine.
United's CEO said the airline already plans to implement changes such as “an additional day of in-person training for all pilots beginning in May and a centralized training curriculum for our new-maintenance technicians.”
“Every time a United flight pulls away from the gate, you can rest assured that everyone on our team is working together to keep you safe on your journey,” Kirby wrote.
