United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is vowing to keep passengers safe after a series of mishaps at the carrier, including the latest incident in which a flight from San Francisco to an airport in Medford, Oregon, was found discovered to have a missing panel on its fuselage.
Kirby made the pledge in a letter sent to customers on Monday morning, saying the airline is reviewing each incident to understand what happened.
"Unfortunately, in the past few weeks, our airline has experienced a number of incidents that are reminders of the importance of safety," Kirby wrote. "While they are all unrelated, I want you to know that these incidents have our attention and have sharpened our focus."
Other recent problems include a United flight that lost a rear tire during takeoff in San Francisco and a flight departing from Memphis, Tennessee that skidded off the runway into a grassy area. Experts have told CBS MoneyWatch that the string of incidents are unusual but most likely coincidental, yet that they could undermine travelers' confidence in the airline.
The incidents occurred after an Alaska Airlines in January suffered a mid-flight blowout of a door panel, which has heightened concerns about aircraft safety among flyers.
In a recent communication, Kirby mentioned that United Airlines had already scheduled several changes prior to the series of incidents, such as implementing an additional day of in-person training for all pilots starting in May. The airline is also introducing a centralized training program for newly hired maintenance technicians. Kirby stated, "Our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to enhance our safety training and procedures for all employee groups." He also emphasized the importance of United employees speaking up and reporting any safety concerns they may have.
Kirby reassured passengers by stating, "You can be confident that every time a United plane departs from the gate, our entire team is working collaboratively to ensure your safety throughout your journey."
