United Airlines CEO attempts to reassure customers about safety

March 18 (UPI) -- The CEO of United Airlines on Monday attempted to reassure members of the flying public after the carrier was involved in multiple, highly publicized safety incidents earlier this month.

"Safety is our highest priority and is at the center of everything we do," CEO Scott Kirby wrote in an email to customers.

"Unfortunately, in the past few weeks, our airline has experienced a number of incidents that are reminders of the importance of safety."

Kirby's email comes after pilots on one of the airline's flights earlier this week discovered a missing external panel on the underside of their Boeing 737-800 after landing in Oregon on a flight from San Francisco with 139 passengers and six crew members aboard.

Pilots found the missing external panel during a routine post-flight inspection.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration continues to investigate after a wheel fell earlier this month from a United Airlines 777 departing from San Francisco headed to Osaka, Japan.

A Boeing 737 MAX jet also rolled off the runway onto the grass at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on March 8.

Kirby on Monday said the incidents were "all unrelated" as he assured the public the third-largest airline in the United States is taking the issues seriously. He also urged employees to come forward if they see something or have safety concerns.

"Our team is reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and using those insights to inform our safety training and procedures across all employee groups," Kirby said in the email.

"You can be confident that every time a United plane pulls away from the gate, everyone on our team is working together to keep you safe on your trip."

The FAA at the end of February ordered Boeing to develop a comprehensive plan to deal with systemic quality-control issues to meet non-negotiable safety standards.

This comes after a string of safety issues plagued Boeing aircraft, above and beyond those operated by United.

In January, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines suffered an immediate massive decompression when a "door plug" fell out, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing in Portland, Ore., shortly after takeoff.