Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images
In an “Axios on HBO” interview, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told Axios’ Felix Salmon he believes the Boeing’s 737 MAX is safe — but will work to reassure customers of its safety.
Why it matters: Fliers may not just be wary because of COVID-19. They may also be afraid to board that MAX, after its software malfunctioned causing two crashes that killed hundreds.
- Southwest has more 737 MAX jets than any other domestic carrier.
Driving the news: The FAA said the embattled plane could return to the skies, following the longest grounding in aviation history spurred by the two fatal crashes.
What they’re saying: “Aviation is the safest way to travel, and has been for decades. It is heavily, heavily regulated and with very skilled people involved,” says Kelly.
More from the exchange...
Kelly: Can mistakes happen? It's a human endeavor, so yes, they can. But if you just take the MAX as an example that we talked about earlier, it has been the most heavily scrutinized airplane in the history of mankind.
Salmon: Could have used some of that scrutiny before it crashed.
Kelly: Well, I think we all recognize that we wish we had then what we have now, there's no question. But we are where we are. And the fact of the matter is, we believe, based on very sound facts and judgment that it is a very safe airplane.
Kelly also said Southwest will do its part to reassure passengers who may be wary about the 737 MAX:
- “We'll need to communicate. We'll need to explain. We'll need to have credible experts, like pilots who are in a position to explain. Whether people are, in turn, reassured is a different question.”
📺 Catch the full "Axios on HBO" interview with Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly and much more on Monday, Nov. 23 at 11pm ET/PT on all HBO platforms.