Boeing supports probe into Ethiopian plane crash: CEO

ANKARA

The chief executive officer of the Boeing Company has said work is in progress to learn more about the Ethiopian Airlines accident and “understand the information from the airplane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders”.

“Our team is on-site with investigators to support the investigation and provide technical expertise. The Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau will determine when and how it’s appropriate to release additional details,” Dennis Muilenburg said in a letter.

It came after many countries -- including Turkey, Canada, the U.S. and Russia -- closed their airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

The decisions followed a Kenya-bound Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed just six minutes after taking off from an airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

All 157 people on board -- 149 passengers and eight crew members -- were killed in the crash that occurred on March 10.

The plane model was also involved in an October crash outside of Jakarta, Indonesia. All 189 people on board Lion Air flight JT610 were killed. This crash, too, took place shortly after take-off.

“Soon we’ll release a software update and related pilot training for the 737 MAX that will address concerns discovered in the aftermath of the Lion Air Flight 610 accident,” Muilenburg said.

“We know lives depend on the work we do, and our teams embrace that responsibility with a deep sense of commitment every day,” Muilenburg said, adding the company’s aim was to bring family, friends and loved ones together “safely.”

He noted that they were working with third parties to understand the facts of what happened in these accidents and to “help prevent future tragedies.”

Muilenburg recalled over a century-long history of the Boeing in the aviation field, and said: “[…] we'll continue providing the best products, training and support to our global airline customers and pilots.”