Delta CEO to Boeing: 'Don't lose sight of the future' following 737 Max problems

Delta flies the second largest commercial fleet of planes in the world. A little more than half are Boeing aircraft but Delta doesn’t fly the grounded 737 Max. “We are anxious to see the Max back into the sky,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday. “I think having it as long as it’s been out is not good for anyone in the industry, even though we don’t fly the Max, because we need Boeing, to continue to work on development and innovation of future technology.” He added: “That’s been our message to Boeing, is to not lose sight of the future.” Boeing is distracted, according to Bastian, as it attempts to win approval from regulators to return the 737 MAX to flight. The crash early Wednesday of a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 800 in Iran comes at a precarious time for Boeing. Bastian called the crash tragic and like many in the airline industry looks to Boeing to get through the current challenges, “and be able to get the technology and the next generation aircraft that we really need to continue to advance our opportunities to grow.” <br/>