‘People Will Die’: Musk Warns About DEI Endangering Airline Passenger Safety After Boeing Scare

Musk was responding to revelations that Boeing had implemented several DEI measures.

The door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 8, 2024. A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out on Jan. 5, shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. National Transportation Safety Board via AP

Billionaire Elon Musk questioned the prioritization of diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) initiatives in the airline industry, warning that these measures are putting the lives of passengers at significant risk.

“Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritized DEI hiring over your safety? That is actually happening,” Mr. Musk said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Jan. 11.