Boeing boss admits mistake over Alaska Airlines plane door blowout

The president of Boeing has admitted the planemaker was at fault after one of its aircraft suffered a door blowout.

No one was injured when the unused cabin door broke away from the Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon on Friday 5 January, shortly after take-off.

“We’re going to approach this number one acknowledging our mistake. We’re going to approach it with 100 per cent and complete transparency every step of the way,” Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s president and chief executive, told staff on Tuesday.

The door plug which fell away from the aircraft was used to fill an emergency exit that was not required by Alaska Airlines.