Dennis A. Muilenburg
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
The Boeing Company

April 11, 2019

Thank you, Mr. President and Mrs. Bush for bringing together such a distinguished group of people to address this responsibility we all have as global citizens to make  positive change in the world. It is indeed my privilege to be with you today.

It’s an honor to be here  and congratulate somebody  who has embraced this  responsibility fully of giving back to the world: Dylan Tête. He’s the recipient of the George W. Bush Institute Military Service Citation this year.

Dylan, your work at Bastion Community of Resilience is innovative and inspiring, and I admire your dedication to supporting your fellow veterans when they return home from service—a commitment that’s shared by both the Bush Institute and by The Boeing Company.

At Boeing we make an effort to invest in and engage with military members, their families and their communities. Last year, we raised more than $30 million to support military and veteran organizations and their efforts. 2018 also marked the start of our partnership with the Bush Institute, which has been just a tremendous experience. That includes a $10 million, multiyear donation to the Military Service Initiative, which includes support for the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program.

Boeing is proud to join the Bush Institute in honoring the service and sacrifice of post-9/11 veterans and their families and supporting their transition back to civilian life. We understand  it’s a big change—and not always an easy one, which is why we help veterans translate their military skills to the workplace. Our team includes about 20,000 veterans at Boeing—approximately 15 percent of our workforce—and we appreciate the values, the leadership, the integrity and the critical skills that they bring to our company. 

Whether you’re talking about the armed forces or companies like Boeing, the investments we make in people are the most important investments that we make. To win in business or on the battlefield, strong values-based leadership is necessary to navigate confidently through times of change.

At Boeing we understand that lives literally depend on the work we do, and that requires the utmost excellence and integrity in how we do that work. We consider our Boeing enduring values of quality, safety and integrity, among others, integral to our work, especially in difficult times like those that we face now.

We were devastated by the recent Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610 tragedies. We continue to mourn those who were on board and extend our deepest sympathies to their loved ones. All of us feel the immense gravity of these events across our company, and frankly these last few weeks have been the most heart-wrenching of my career.

Our values are at the very core of everything we do. Yet, we know we can always be better, and these recent accidents have intensified our commitment to continuous improvement as we design, build and support the safest airplanes in the sky. That’s our responsibility as a leader in the aerospace industry. That’s what we do at Boeing. We own it.

As our veterans know so well, how you respond to a tough situation will make all the difference to your organization and your country. Our leadership values always apply, even more when the pressure is on and our character is being tested, and this experience has reinforced that truth for us at Boeing. We’re  humbled and we’re learning, we’re resilient and we’re resolute, and we will never waver in our commitment. The importance of our work demands it.

These enduring values drive our behaviors, and I’ll briefly share four key ones with you today.

First, it’s important to communicate clearly and openly. In the weeks since the Ethiopian Airlines accident, I’ve spent even more time with our teams, traveling frequently, walking the floor and meeting with those who are working on the front lines of our 737 airplane program. I’ve encouraged our leaders  to do the same with their global teams. It’s important that people’s concerns are heard and that their questions answered. In times like these, it’s not possible to over-communicate, and I’ve been updating our people frequently as details emerge and are available, and it’s appropriate to do so aligned with our international aviation protocol.

As we learned the facts, I also reached out to our airline customers, partners and communities in open letters and videos to share our support of the investigations, and the steps underway to avoid future accidents and our ongoing priority of safety.

Second, it’s a focus of all our leaders to invest in our team and empower others. As we continue working closely with our airline customers and global regulators to return the 737 MAX to service, I’m focused on making the adjustments necessary to allow our teams to prioritize additional resources and focus on the recovery efforts.

From the days immediately following the Lion Air accident, our top engineers and technical experts have been working tirelessly in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration and our customers to finalize and implement a software update that will ensure accidents like these never happen again.

The update will make the 737 MAX even safer by preventing erroneous angle of attack sensor readings from triggering the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, something that initial investigation reports indicate occurred in both MAX accidents, as one link in a longer chain of events. We know we can break this chain link. It’s our responsibility to eliminate this risk.

We’re taking a comprehensive, disciplined approach—and taking the time—to make sure we get it right.

Third, we must deliver results with excellence in all that we do. I joined our Boeing test pilots last week aboard a 737 MAX flight for a demonstration of this updated software. During the flight, the crew performed different scenarios that exercised the software changes in multiple flight conditions. The software update functioned as designed, and I was impressed by the work and professionalism of our team.

Overall, our team has made 96 flights totaling a little over 159 hours of air time with the updated software. They will conduct additional test and production flights in the coming weeks as we continue to demonstrate that we’ve identified and met all certification requirements. We look forward to completing near-term milestones on the path to final certification.

Finally, it’s about building lasting relationships based on trust and integrity. We know every person who steps aboard one of our airplanes places their trust in us. We’ll do everything possible to earn and re-earn that trust and confidence from our airline customers and the flying public in the weeks and months ahead. We take the responsibility to build and deliver airplanes that are safe to fly and can be safely flown by every single one of the professional and dedicated pilots all around the world. My team and I are working closely with our customers to answer their questions, get their feedback and ensure those who operate the MAX are prepared when the grounding is lifted and the fleet returns to flight.

To that end, we hosted more than 200 regulators and airline officials for an informational session in Seattle last month, and over the last two weeks we’ve conducted similar meetings in the U.K., Singapore and China with international airline pilots and regulators. Pilots and leaders from 67 percent of our more than 50 MAX operators worldwide have participated in a simulator session that included the new software update.

We want everyone to be confident that the additional training and educational resources we’re developing and deploying will do the job. This confidence is important also to our airlines’ pilots and team members—including the thousands who live here in the Dallas-Fort Worth community working for American Airlines and Southwest, and those working in Houston supporting United Airlines. We regret the impact the grounding has had on all of our airline customers and their passengers.

When I started at this great company more than three decades ago, our amazing people inspired me. I see how they dedicate their lives and extraordinary talents to connect, protect, explore and inspire the world—safely. And that purpose and mission has only grown stronger over the years. Our team is determined to keep improving on safety in partnership with the global aerospace community and our broader stakeholders.

It’s this shared sense of responsibility for the safety of flight that spans and binds us all together. Our leadership role is clear, our commitment is resolute and our pursuit of excellence is never-ending. We own it. In these challenging times, I am even more confident in our team and our customers—we’ll stay true to our values, and we will come through this even stronger.

I hope all of you leave today’s forum feeling inspired and empowered to face even the most difficult challenges. Thank you.

April 5, 2019 - As we work closely with customers and global regulators to return the 737 MAX to service, we continue to be driven by our enduring values, with a focus on safety, integrity and quality in all we do.

We now know that the recent Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accidents were caused by a chain of events, with a common chain link being erroneous activation of the aircraft's MCAS function. We have the responsibility to eliminate this risk, and we know how to do it. As part of this effort, we're making progress on the 737 MAX software update that will prevent accidents like these from ever happening again. Teams are working tirelessly, advancing and testing the software, conducting non-advocate reviews, and engaging regulators and customers worldwide as we proceed to final certification. I recently had the opportunity to experience the software update performing safely in action during a 737 MAX 7 demo flight.  We're also finalizing new pilot training courses and supplementary educational material for our global MAX customers. This progress is the result of our comprehensive, disciplined approach and taking the time necessary to get it right.

As we continue to work through these steps, we're adjusting the 737 production system temporarily to accommodate the pause in MAX deliveries, allowing us to prioritize additional resources to focus on software certification and returning the MAX to flight. We have decided to temporarily move from a production rate of 52 airplanes per month to 42 airplanes per month starting in mid-April.

At a production rate of 42 airplanes per month, the 737 program and related production teams will maintain their current employment levels while we continue to invest in the broader health and quality of our production system and supply chain.

We are coordinating closely with our customers as we work through plans to mitigate the impact of this adjustment. We will also work directly with our suppliers on their production plans to minimize operational disruption and financial impact of the production rate change. 

In light of our commitment to continuous improvement and our determination to always make a safe industry even safer, I've asked the Boeing Board of Directors to establish a committee to review our company-wide policies and processes for the design and development of the airplanes we build.  The committee will confirm the effectiveness of our policies and processes for assuring the highest level of safety on the 737-MAX program, as well as our other airplane programs, and recommend improvements to our policies and procedures.

The committee members will be Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., (Ret.), former vice chairman, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, who will serve as the committee's chair; Robert A. Bradway, chairman and CEO of Amgen, Inc.; Lynn J. Good, chairman, president and CEO of the Duke Energy Corporation; and Edward M. Liddy, former chairman and CEO of the Allstate Corporation, all members of the company's board. These individuals have been selected to serve on this committee because of their collective and extensive experiences that include leadership roles in corporate, regulated industries and government entities where safety and the safety of lives is paramount.

Safety is our responsibility, and we own it. When the MAX returns to the skies, we've promised our airline customers and their passengers and crews that it will be as safe as any airplane ever to fly. Our continued disciplined approach is the right decision for our employees, customers, supplier partners and other stakeholders as we work with global regulators and customers to return the 737 MAX fleet to service and deliver on our commitments to all of our stakeholders.

April 4, 2019 - Kami di Boeing menyampaikan dukacita atas tewasnya korban pada kecelakaan pesawat 737 MAX baru-baru ini. Tragedi-tragedi ini terus menjadi beban berat bagi hati dan pikiran kami, dan kami bermaksud menyampaikan simpati kami kepada mereka yang disayangi oleh penumpang dan kru yang terbang bersama Lion Air Penerbangan 610 dan Ethiopian Airlines Penerbangan 302. Di seluruh perusahaan kami, kami semua menghadapi peristiwa-peristiwa ini dengan sangat serius dan menyadari kesedihan yang dialami oleh keluarga dan sahabat karena tewasnya mereka yang disayangi.

Rincian penuh dari apa yang terjadi dalam dua kecelakaan ini akan diumumkan oleh lembaga pemerintah yang berwenang dalam laporan akhir, namun, dengan dirilisnya laporan pendahuluan penyelidikan kecelakaan Ethiopian Airlines Penerbangan 302, terlihat bahwa Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, yang dikenal sebagai MCAS, pada kedua penerbangan telah teraktivasi akibat informasi sudut serang (angle of attack atau AOA) yang keliru.

Sejarah industri kami menunjukkan bahwa sebagian besar kecelakaan diakibatkan oleh rangkaian peristiwa. Hal ini juga terjadi di sini, dan kami tahu bahwa kami dapat memutus salah satu mata rantai tersebut pada kedua kecelakaan ini. Seperti yang disampaikan oleh para pilot kepada kami, teraktivasinya fungsi MCAS dari masukkan data yang keliru dapat menambah beban kerja pada kondisi lingkungan yang sudah tinggi. Meniadakan risiko ini adalah tanggung jawab kami. Kami memiliki tanggung jawab ini dan kami mengetahui cara melakukannya.

Beberapa hari setelah kecelakaan pesawat Lion Air, kami menugaskan tim teknis pesawat udara dan pakar teknis yang terbaik yang bekerja tanpa lelah bekerja sama dengan Federal Aviation Administration dan pelanggan kami untuk melakukan finalisasi dan menerapkan pembaruan perangkat lunak yang akan memastikan kecelakaan seperti yang terjadi pada Lion Air Penerbangan 610 dan Ethiopian Airlines Penerbangan 302 tidak akan pernah terjadi lagi.

Kami mengambil pendekatan yang komprehensif, berdisiplin tinggi, dan menggunakan waktu yang diperlukan, untuk mendapatkan pembaruan perangkat lunak yang tepat. Upaya kami hampir selesai dan kami mengharapkan sertifikasi dan implementasinya pada seluruh armada pesawat 737 MAX dapat dilakukan pada minggu-minggu ke depan. Kami menyesal atas dampak larangan terbang (grounding) terhadap para maskapai penerbangan pelanggan kami dan penumpang mereka.

Pembaruan ini, bersama dengan pelatihan terkait dan tambahan materi pendidikan yang diinginkan oleh para pilot setelah terjadinya kecelakaan-kecelakaan tersebut, akan meniadakan kemungkinan teraktivasi MCAS yang tidak diharapkan dan mencegah terulangnya kecelakaan terkait MCAS.

Kami di Boeing memiliki tanggung jawab untuk membangun dan mengirim pesawat terbang yang aman untuk terbang kepada para maskapai penerbangan pelanggan kami dan kepada masyarakat penerbangan, dan dapat secara aman diterbangkan oleh setiap pilot yang profesional dan berdedikasi di seluruh dunia. Inilah tugas kami di Boeing.

Kami tetap yakin akan keselamatan mendasar pesawat 737 MAX. Semua yang telah terbang bersamanya–para penumbang, pramugari dan pramugara, dan para pilot, termasuk keluarga dan sahabat kami sendiri–berhak mendapatkan yang upaya terbaik kami. Ketika pesawat MAX kembali terbang dengan perubahan perangkat lunak pada fungsi MCAS, pesawat ini akan menjadi salah satu pesawat udara yang paling aman untuk terbang.

Tanpa henti kami selalu berfokus pada keselamatan dan akan selalu demikian. Ini adalah inti dari diri kami di Boeing. Dan kami menyadari bahwa kami selalu bisa lebih baik lagi. Tim kami bertekad untuk terus meningkatkan keselamatan dengan bermitra dengan industri penerbangan global dan komunitas secara luas. Rasa tanggung jawab bersama untuk keselamatan penerbangan inilah yang mengikat kami semua.

Saya tidak dapat mengingat waktu yang lebih memilukan hati sepanjang karir saya dengan perusahaan yang hebat ini. Ketika saya memulai bekerja di Boeing lebih dari tiga dekade yang lalu, orang-orang kami yang hebat telah memberikan inspirasi bagi saya. Saya melihat bagaimana mereka mendedikasikan hidup dan bakat hebat mereka untuk menghubungkan, melindungi, menjelajah dan memberikan inspirasi bagi dunia – secara aman. Dan tujuan dan misi tersebut telah tumbuh menguat dari tahun ke tahun.

Kami sadar bahwa banyak nyawa bergantung pada upaya kami dan menuntut integritas tertinggi dan kesempurnaan dalam upaya kami. Dengan rasa tanggung jawab yang mendalam, kami menyambut tanggung jawab untuk merancang, membangun dan mendukung pesawat terbang yang paling aman di udara. Kami menyadari bahwa setiap orang yang terbang dengan pesawat terbang kami memberikan kepercayaannya kepada kami.

Bersama-sama, kami akan melakukan upaya sebaik mungkin untuk memperoleh dan mendapatkan kembali kepercayaan dan keyakinan dari pelanggan kami dan masyarakat penerbangan, dalam beberapa minggu dan bulan ke depan.

Sekali lagi, kami merasakan kesedihan yang mendalam dan menyampaikan dukacita atas luka yang dirasakan di seluruh dunia akibat kecelakaan ini. Kami menyampaikan simpati kami yang mendalam bagi semua pihak yang berduka.

Dennis Muilenburg
Chairman, Presiden dan CEO
The Boeing Company

26 Maret 2019

As the lead engineer on a project earlier in my career, I watched my pilot friend climb into the cockpit of a prototype aircraft and fly it for the first time. He landed safely, and I exhaled with admiration and relief—a vivid memory I carry with me every day. Knowing someone’s life depends on your work is an unforgettable feeling, and it’s one shared among all of us at Boeing. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of safety, excellence and integrity in our work because the stakes could not be higher.

Since the moment we learned of the recent 737 MAX accidents, we’ve thought about the lives lost and the impact it has on people around the globe and throughout the aerospace community. All those involved have had to deal with unimaginable pain. We’re humbled by their resilience and inspired by their courage.

In the weeks since the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident, the airline’s crews have demonstrated this by continuing to serve the flying public with distinction and professionalism. As the airline’s Group CEO Ato Tewolde GebreMariam said in his heartfelt statement yesterday, this tragedy does not define Ethiopian—and it won’t define the aviation industry or our enduring relationship with their team. For those of us who have worked with them over the years, this comes as no surprise.

Ethiopian Airlines has a proud history that stretches more than seven decades. In that time, Ethiopian has been a pioneer and a leader in our industry, launching Africa into the jet age, connecting the continent with all corners of the globe with its extensive network, and earning a reputation for service and safety. More than just an airline, Ethiopian represents the pride and progress of a great people and a symbol of The New Spirit of Africa.

We are all humbled and learning from this experience. We’ve stood shoulder to shoulder in partnership with the Ethiopian team to grieve and extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and communities of the passengers and crew.

With a shared value of safety, be assured that we are bringing all of the resources of The Boeing Company to bear, working together tirelessly to understand what happened and do everything possible to ensure it doesn’t happen again. All of us thank Ethiopian Airlines for their commitment and share their resolve to doing everything possible to build an even safer air travel system.

Boeing stands together with all our customers and partners to earn and strengthen the flying public’s trust and confidence in us every day.

Dennis Muilenburg
Chairman, Presiden dan CEO
The Boeing Company

18 Maret 2019

Komitmen Kami

Kami paham bahwa keberlangsungan hidup kami bergantung pada apa yang kami kerjakan, dan tim kami menerima tanggung jawab tersebut dengan kesungguhan komitmen di setiap harinya. Tujuan kami di Boeing adalah untuk menyatukan keluarga, teman, dan orang-orang tercinta dalam kebersamaan di dalam pesawat komersial kami–dengan selamat. Kecelakaan tragis yang menimpa maskapai Ethiopian Airlines Penerbangan 302 dan Lion Air Penerbangan 610 telah memengaruhi kita semua, membuat masyarakat dan negara-negara bersatu dalam kesedihan bagi mereka yang sedang berduka. Ini berat rasanya bagi kami, dan kami terus menyampaikan simpati terdalam kepada seluruh keluarga para penumpang dan kru pesawat.

Keselamatan adalah landasan utama keberadaan kami di Boeing. Memastikan perjalanan yang aman dan terpercaya di dalam pesawat kami adalah prinsip dan komitmen tertinggi kami yang terus-menerus kami lakukan untuk setiap orang. Fokus utama terhadap keselamatan ini meliputi serta menyatukan seluruh industri pesawat global kami dan masyarakat. Kami bersatu bersama para pelanggan, lembaga regulator internasional dan otoritas pemerintahan dalam upaya mendukung penyelidikan terkini, mempelajari fakta-fakta yang terjadi, dan membantu mencegah terjadinya tragedi di masa depan. Berdasarkan fakta-fakta yang didapat dari kecelakaan Lion Air Penerbangan 610 dan perkembangan data terbaru dari kecelakaan Ethiopian Airlines Penerbangan 302, kami mengambil tindakan-tindakan untuk menjamin penuh keamanan pesawat 737 MAX. Kami juga memahami dan menyesal atas kesulitan yang dialami pelanggan kami dan masyarakat pengguna jasa penerbangan akibat pemberhentian armada.

Dedikasi Kami

Kami mengalami kemajuan yang menyeluruh dan cepat dalam upaya mempelajari lebih jauh mengenai kecelakaan pesawat Ethiopian Airlines dan mendalami informasi yang didapat dari rekaman data pembicaraan dan penerbangan. Tim kami berada di lapangan bersama para penyelidik untuk mendukung investigasi dan memberikan keahlian teknis. Biro Investigasi Kecelakaan Etiopia akan menentukan bagaimana dan kapan waktu yang tepat untuk mengumumkan informasi tambahan yang lebih rinci.

Boeing telah menjalankan bisnis keselamatan penerbangan selama lebih dari 100 tahun, dan kami akan terus menyediakan produk-produk terbaik, pelatihan, serta dukungan kepada pelanggan global kami dan para pilot. Ini merupakan komitmen yang terus-menerus dilakukan untuk membuat pesawat udara yang sudah aman menjadi lebih aman lagi. Kami akan segera merilis pembaruan perangkat lunak dan pelatihan pilot untuk pesawat 737 MAX untuk menjawab kekhawatiran dan masalah-masalah yang ditemukan pasca-kecelakaan Lion Air Penerbangan 610. Kami sudah bekerja sama penuh dengan Administrasi Penerbangan Federal Amerika Serikat, Kementerian Perhubungan, dan Dewan Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi dalam semua isu sehubungan dengan kecelakaan Lion Air dan Ethiopian Airlines sejak terjadinya kecelakaan pesawat Lion Air pada Oktober tahun lalu.

Nilai-Nilai Kami

Seluruh tim kami bekerja keras mencurahkan perhatian demi kualitas dan keamanan pesawat yang kami rancang, kami produksi, dan kami dukung. Saya telah mendedikasikan seluruh karier saya untuk Boeing, bekerja berdampingan bersama orang-orang kami yang hebat serta para pelanggan selama lebih dari tiga dekade, dan secara personal merasakan komitmen mereka yang sungguh-sungguh. Baru-baru ini saya menghabiskan waktu bersama anggota tim kami di pabrik pesawat 737 di Renton, Washington, dan sekali lagi saya melihat langsung kebanggaan yang mereka rasakan dalam pekerjaan mereka, juga kesedihan yang kita semua alami akibat tragedi ini. Pentingnya pekerjaan kami menuntut integritas dan keandalan tertinggi–itulah yang kami lihat di dalam tim kami, dan kami tidak akan pernah lelah untuk mencapainya.

Misi kami adalah untuk menghubungkan manusia dan negara-negara, melindungi kebebasan, menjelajah dunia dan keluasan angkasa, serta menginspirasi para pemimpi dan pekerja bidang ruang angkasa generasi mendatang–dan kami akan memenuhi misi tersebut hanya dengan cara menjunjung tinggi nilai-nilai kami. Itulah arti keselamatan bagi kami. Kami akan terus bekerja untuk memperoleh sekaligus menjaga kepercayaan masyarakat terhadap Boeing.

Dennis Muilenburg
Chairman, Presiden dan CEO
The Boeing Company