What did Elon Musk say about Boeing? Tesla CEO's viral tweet following Alaska Airlines mishap sparks reactions online

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk came into focus on Wednesday after he attacked United Airlines and Boeing for trying to hire non-white pilots and manufacturing workers.

Musk garnered a lot of reactions for his assertions in a string of posts on X (formerly Twitter), which stated that the companies' efforts to diversify their workforces have decreased the safety of flying. However, he did not provide any supporting information for the assertion. Furthermore, one of his responses brought attention to another person's speculative statement regarding the IQ of Afro-American airline workers.

As the Alaska Airlines incident made headlines this week, Musk further issued a warning against Boeing. He alleges that they have prioritized hiring DEIs in recent years.

Billionaire Elon Musk also wondered on the same X post whether or not passengers would prefer to travel in an aircraft manufactured by a company that puts DEI hiring ahead of safety management.

The post reads,

"Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritized DEI hiring over your safety? That is actually happening.”

However, once the post went viral, it garnered mixed reactions from X users.

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Netizens react as Elon Musk criticized Boeing and Alaska Airlines for their recent mishap

Musk is currently facing criticism for his recent X post (Image via Facebook / Team Elon Musk / Infinite Flight)

Elon Musk recently criticized Boeing over a document that indicated the airplane company had switched from concentrating just on safety and quality controls to utilizing diversity, equity, and inclusion goals as incentives for the CEO’s salary two years ago.

Musk's move to address aviation safety was prompted by the recent incident on Friday, January 5, 2024. It involved a Boeing flight of Alaska Airlines where a panel blew off the plane during its flight.

Musk's statement is a response to James Lindsay's article that revealed a Boeing 2022 SEC filing. The screenshot that Lindsay provided showed a proxy statement that Boeing had submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The statement came after an almost disastrous fuselage panel burst on an Alaska Airlines plane last week.

Elon Musk gave his opinion on the matter on Tuesday when he answered the user on X. The user claimed that the average IQ of Air Force pilots was higher than that of United Airlines pilots who attended historically Black colleges and universities.

According to the article shared by Lindsay, starting in 2022, the aircraft manufacturer shifted its incentive program. They changed from rewarding executives based on staff safety, passenger safety, and quality to rewarding them if they meet climate and DEI targets.

Lindsay further emphasized how Boeing's incentive model was modified in the filing, rewarding executives who met DEI targets rather than those who increased profit and prioritized safety.

“While our 2021 design incorporated operational performance in the areas of product safety, employee safety and quality, for 2022 we will add two other focus areas critical to our long-range business plan: climate and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&l),” the filing said.

Sharing the screenshot, Elon Musk targeted the DEI for their initiatives that support diversity, equity, and inclusion.

However, once he uploaded the screenshot with the post on his official X account, it sparked reactions among netizens. Some people agreed with Musk, while others felt that he was not right about what he said and criticized him under his X post.

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Boeing has been under intense scrutiny after a mid-flight problem with one of its 737 MAX 9 airplanes. On the other hand, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun acknowledged the company's involvement in the recent mid-air rupture on an Alaska Airlines flight on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.