United Airlines pledges safety review after spate of ‘incidents’

CEO says firm’s focus has been ‘sharpened’ and its pilots will get extra training

A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft grounded at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, US, on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Photographer: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg

David Koenig

The CEO of United Airlines says that a slew of recent incidents ranging from a piece of aluminium skin falling off a plane to another jet losing a wheel on takeoff will cause the airline to review its safety training for employees.

Scott Kirby said the airline was already planning an extra day of training for pilots starting in May, and changes in training curriculum for newly hired mechanics.