AND
AND WHY
AND WHY SOME BUSINESSES ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEM.
THREE WEEKS FROM NOW WILL MARCH
ONE YEAR SINCE THE GLOBAL
GROUNDINGS OF THE BOEING 737
MAX.
MAX.
MAX. GLAD
MAX. GLAD TO HAVE YOU WITH US, I'M
GREG COPELAND.
GREG COPELAND. >> KING5'S GLENN FARLEY IS BACK
WITH US AS HE EXPLAINS, AND
ALSO HAS AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
WITH THE CEO OF BOEING.
>> THE NEW CEO OF BOEING.
FOR MUCH OF THE PAST YEAR, IT
WAS LOOKING LIKE THE GROUNDED
MAX WAS POISED TO TAKE OFF AT
ANY TIME, OR SO IT WOULD SEEM.
DAVID CALHOUN, IN HIS NEW ROLE
AS CEO PUT THE BRAKES ON THAT
KIND OF THINKING.
PICKING A MORE REALISTIC
TIMEFRAME, LIKE 2020.
BUT OUR STORY BEGINS WITH THE
FLIGHT.
FLIGHT.
FLIGHT. >> A ROUTINE TEST FLIGHT.
AGAIN TESTING THE ENVELOPE, AND
THE MANEUVERS OF COURSE A
TYPICAL PILOT WOULDENCOUNTER IN
THE FLIGHT ENVELOPES, AND IT
WENT BEAUTIFULLY.
WENT BEAUTIFULLY. SO I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN
HAPPIER.
HAPPIER.
HAPPIER. I ALWAYS ENJOY TALKING TO THE
PIE THE LOTS, THEY'RE VERY
INFORMED, AND THEY LOVE THIS
AIRPLANE.
AIRPLANE.
AIRPLANE. >> Reporter: NEW BOEING
PRESIDENT, AND CEO DAVID
CALHOUN HAS NOW MADE HIS FIRST
FLIGHT ABOARD THE 737 MAX 7.
THAT AIRPLANE HAS THE ROLE OF
PROVING TO THE FAA THAT THE MAX
IS SAFE, AND THE GROUNDING CAN
BE LIFTED.
BE LIFTED. HE ESTIMATES BY MID-SUMMER.
>> THIS WAS MY FIRST TEST
FLIGHT.
FLIGHT.
FLIGHT. I'VE DONE SIMULATORS, BUT NOT
IN THE AIR.
>> AND WHAT WAS YOUR LEVEL OF
CONFIDENCE?
CONFIDENCE? >> VERY HIGH.
AS HIGH AS IT CAN BE.
THIS AIRPLANE IS GOING TO BE
INCREDIBLY SAFE.
INCREDIBLY SAFE. IT IS INCREDIBLY SAFE.
IT WILL GET REINTRODUCED WITH
THE PILOTS WHO ARE GOOD AIRLINE
CUSTOMERS FEEL, THEY'RE GOING
TO LOVE IT.
AND EVENTUALLY THE FLYING
PUBLIC IS GOING TO GAIN THEIR
CONFIDENCE AS WELL.
>> Reporter: ABOUT 375
AIRPLANES WERE GROUNDED LAST
MARCH.
MARCH.
MARCH. BOEING'S DESIGN OF AN OBSCURE
FLIGHT FEATURE CALLED M CAST,
BLAMED.
BLAMED.
BLAMED. BOEING KEPT BUILDING ANOTHER
400 JETS, AND PARKED THEM FROM
WASHINGTON TO TEXAS, IN THE
HOPE THAT TH FAA WOULD LIFT
THE GROUNDING ANYTIME.
THAT STILL HASN'T HAPPENED.
THE COMPANY FINALLY STOPPED THE
RENTON ASSEMBLY LINES LAST
MONTH, AND HAS AVOIDED LAYING
OFF ITS OWN WORKERS, SO THEY
CAN BE READY.
IT WILL NOT BE A QUICK RESTART.
>> THE FIRST STAGE OF OUR
PRODUCTION PROCESS, WHICH I
HOPE WE START IN APRIL, WE'VE
GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY
JOB'S COMPLETE BEFORE IT MOVES
TO THE SECOND.
EVERY JOB'S COMPLETE UNTIL IT
MOVES TO THE THIRD.
AND WE'VE GOT TO STAY ON THAT
DISCIPLINE AND THAT RIGOR ALL
THE WAY THROUGH, SO WE DON'T
TRAVEL ISSUES.
TRAVEL ISSUES. THAT IS REALLY GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT WITH RESPECT TO THE
SUPPLY CHAIN.
SUPPLY CHAIN. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE
READY WITH THEIR GIVEN PART AT
THAT TIME.
THAT TIME. AND IF THERE ARE SHORT FALLS
THERE, OUR PLANE SITS.
>> Reporter: MIKE FLEMING IS
THE VICE PRESIDENT WHOSE ONLY
JOB IT IS TO MARSHALL THE
RECOVERY OF THE 737 MAX TO THE
AIR.
AIR.
AIR. >>
AIR. >> MIKE IS AN INCREDIBLE
EXECUTIVE.
EXECUTIVE. PICKINGAIRPLANES AND GETTING
THEM READY FOR SERVICE.
HAVING OUR CUSTOMER READY TO
RECEIVE THEM.
RECEIVE THEM. NOT JUST US TURNING THEM OVER,
AND THAT WHOLE PROCESS, WHICH
IS SIGNIFICANT, INVOLVES A LOT
OF STEPS.
OF STEPS.
OF STEPS. IT WILL HAVE THE FAA ALONGSIDE
OF US, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
400 AIRPLANES.
400 AIRPLANES. THAT'S A LOT OF AIRPLANES TO
DO.
DO.
DO. SO
DO. SO YOU CAN JUST THAT JOB IN AND
OF ITSELF IS THE SIZE OF A NEW
AIRPLANE PROGRAM.
AIRPLANE PROGRAM. >> SO FAR EXCEEDING $18
BILLION, THE COMPANY IN 2019,
ACTUALLY POSTING ITS FIRST LOSS
IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES.
BLAME IT ALL ON THE MAX.
>> SO IF WORLD REGULATORS AND
THE FAA SIGN OFF, WHEN DO
THINGS FINALLY GET BACK TO
NORMAL?
NORMAL?
NORMAL? >> HE'S HOPING, THERE'S NO
GUARANTEES HERE, BUT HE'S
HOPING THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR,
SO THE MIDDLE OF 2021.
NOT THAT THE PROGRAM IS GOING
TO BE BACK UP TO 52 AIRPLANES A
MONTH, WHICH IS WHAT IT WAS
DOING BEFORE THE GROUNDING
HAPPENED, AND EVEN WHEN THEY
WERE MAKING PLANES, THEY BACKED
THAT DOWN TO 42 A MONTH.
THOSE ARE STILL