Emirates’ Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, has sent a strong message to American multinational corporation, Boeing. This comes amid ongoing problems with the aircraft manufacturer’s ill-fated 737 Max and equally troubled 777X jets. Sheikh Ahmed asserts that Boeing needs to ‘get their act together’, voicing his concern over the lengthy delays and increasing safety concerns associated with these models.
One of the reasons partaking in this vocal criticism is the major impact these delays have had on Emirates’ operations. The Gulf airline has been heavily impacted by the delayed delivery of the two Boeing models. As the largest operator of wide-body aircraft, Emirates has ordered a total of 150 Boeing 777X jets, which are yet to be delivered. In addition, the grounding of the 737 Max since March 2019, following two fatal crashes, has further escalated Emirates’ concerns.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, speaking in an interview with CNN, expressed his frustration by stating that Boeing ‘should get their act together’ and these sorts of things ‘are not things you As Boeing’s biggest customer, Emirates’ displeasure could have significant implications for the ongoing relationship between the two. In a market where there are only two significant players – Boeing and Airbus – the loss or dissatisfaction of a major client can create a considerable shift.
Sheikh Ahmed goes further in his concerns, adding a safety perspective to his worries. He asserted the importance of safety, saying it is paramount. This statement is a clear indication that his concerns run deeper than simple delivery delays. The 737 Max’s safety issues, with multiple fatal crashes leading to its grounding, have no doubt rattled confidence in Boeing. This morphs the situation into a two-fold problem: addressing the technical and safety issues in their aircraft, as well as rebuilding customer confidence, especially with critically-important clients like Emirates.
Boeing is not unaware of these concerns, as it has faced mounting pressures from several other airlines that are also seeking compensation for delivery delays and canceling orders. The manufacturing giant is fully aware that these issues have dented their reputation, but they also impact their bottom line, with billions of dollars at stake.
Despite this, Emirates has shown patience by waiting on the delayed 777X, supposing they receive satisfactory responses to safety and performance queries, proving their brand loyalty to Boeing.
In order to effectively respond to Emirates’ message, Boeing needs a robust plan to resolve its aircraft problems. This should include both the technical faults causing the delays and the safety issues that have emerged on its 737 Max models. It’s a message that Boeing should heed: ‘Getting their act together’ equates to taking full responsibility, making their business operations more transparent, providing accurate delivery dates, and, more importantly, putting safety at the forefront.
In encapsulation, Sheikh Ahmed’s message serves as a wake-up call for Boeing to rectify its missteps. Failing to comply could cost them not only their relationship with Emirates but potentially with numerous other global airlines. Emirates’ patience is clearly wearing thin, making it abundantly clear that they will not tolerate compromises on safety or efficiency within their fleet. This simply underscores the critical need for Boeing to ‘get their act together’ and deliver on their promises, especially when safety and reliabiloty are at stake.
