The CEO of Lufthansa Carsten Spohr has said that problems at Boeing this year have been “extremely annoying”, but he remains positive that the planemaker will bounce back.
In an interview with Switzerland’s Neue Zuercher Zeitung, the head of Lufthansa Group commented on Boeing’s failings following the Alaska Airlines plug door blowout and the subsequent ramifications that have seen aircraft production drop.
“This is extremely annoying and costs us a lot, a lot of money. However, I am sure that Boeing will get the problems under control. The industry needs two strong providers. Everyone has an interest in Boeing being able to build great aircraft more reliably again soon,” Spohr said.
When asked if he understood why some passengers were opting to not fly on Boeing aircraft, Spohr dismissed the notion and reiterated the aviation industry’s record for safety.
“Every day, 30,000 planes take off around the world, multiple times. Around half of them were built by Boeing. Our industry offers by far the highest safety standards compared to other means of transport,” Spohr explained.
Spohr added that every plane built for Lufthansa, whether it is Boeing or Airbus, is overseen during production to ensure they meet the airline’s standards.
While there has been much talk about Chinese aircraft manufacturers entering the fold the Lufthansa boss dismissed the airline purchasing planes built in China at least for the next few years.
“Given the safety standards that we set at the Lufthansa Group, I don’t think that’s realistic,” he said
According to Spohr, Lufthansa is receiving a new aircraft every 10 days, including a new long-haul jet every month.
“This has never happened before,” Spohr commented.