BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB
DOHA: Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said that every organisation across the world has issues related to drug-abuse, including entities in the Middle East region. If one or two Boeing workers are involved in this practice, it does not mean the entire labour force is taking drugs.
“Every single organisation in the world has issues of drug-abuse, most so in the US. We also have in our region. So if an individual or two take (s) drug it does not mean the entire employee of company is on drug and making planes,” said Al Baker in his reply to a question on a documentary broadcast by Al Jazeera on Boeing’s 787s (Dreamliner).
Reiterating Qatar Airways’ (QA) high safety standards, he stressed: “QA will not put a single passenger in an airplane that is unsafe.”
Al Baker disagreed with the safety concerns raised related to Dreamliner in a recently-broadcast documentary by the Doha-based media network, which, according to him, featured some “disgruntled” employees of Boeing.
“I completely disagree with this notion. We have an aggressive team of inspectors on the ground, including Qatari engineers, who are monitoring the built of our airplanes,” said the Group CEO of Qatar’s national carrier, adding “None of our engineers has ever told us anything negative about the plane (787) that we have taken delivery of.”
Asked whether the reported production shortcomings of Dreamliner have broken QA’s dream, especially with reference to the Al Jazeera documentary titled ‘Broken Dreams’.
He said: “The Dreamliner has not broken our dreams. Actually it has fulfilled our dreams. The 787 is an airplane which is fuel efficient, modern, state-of-the-art and emits low carbon.”
However, Al Baker, with the same breath, admitted some “serious issues” with the performance of the airplane, including issues related to software, electrical panels and slats of 787s. But these are not problems big enough to jeopardise the programme.
The documentary, broadcast by Al Jazeera America about a couple of weeks ago, featured some employees of Boeing raising cancers about safety standards of the plane and other issues related to the production process, such as some workers involved in drugs.
He said that the programme had “sensationalised” comments made by some “disgruntled employees”, alleging drug-taking by workers at the South Carolina assembly line.
“It is dust being kicked up by a group of unionists who do not like the fact their organisation has established a plant where the union is not recognized,” said Al Baker, during a press briefing held recently at Hamad International Airport to unveil the newly inducted A380, .
Commenting further on the anonymous employees of Boeing, he added: “Yes, there will be always disgruntled employees in companies that will try to create sensation out of nothing. If you really look at people who have reported issues about the safety of the airplane are no longer working with the company, if they are really courageous than they should stand-up (on camera).
The Peninsula
