The aircraft manufacturer said on Wednesday that Dave Calhoun, the departing CEO of Boeing, will appear before a US Senate panel later this month to address concerns regarding safety and production challenges at the firm.
The appearance on June 18 before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations comes after an April hearing during which four informants claimed there were safety issues during the manufacture of three of the four commercial aircraft that Boeing currently produces: the 737 MAX, the 787 Dreamliner, and the 777.
“I look forward to Mr. Calhoun’s testimony, which is a necessary step in meaningfully addressing Boeing’s failures, regaining public trust, and restoring the company’s central role in the American economy and national defense,” said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the subcommittee.
Boeing greeted the chance to address the panel “to share the actions we have taken, and will continue to take, to strengthen safety and quality and ensure that commercial air travel remains the safest form of transportation,” the company said in a statement to AFP.
Following an almost catastrophic Alaska Airlines flight in which a 737 MAX was forced to make an emergency landing due to a fuselage panel blowing off in mid-air, the business came under heavy scrutiny in January.
The event brought back serious concerns about Boeing’s safety procedures that had been raised in the wake of two deadly disasters in 2018 and 2019, but had previously diminished when the 737 MAX was grounded for an extended period of time.
Following an investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration, “non-compliance” concerns with Boeing’s production process were found.
The authority decided to halt the 737 MAX production expansion because to the mid-air emergency.
In order to resolve the safety concerns, the company filed a “comprehensive action plan” as required by the authorities on May 30.
In addition, an executive search is underway following the announcement on March 25 that Calhoun will retire as CEO at the end of 2024. This was part of a leadership transition that also included the replacement of the chair of the board of directors and the head of commercial plane manufacturing.
