Boeing must present a quality and safety compliance program to the Federal Aviation Administration following the Alaskan Airlines incident in January.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) urged the head of the Federal Aviation Administration on June 3 to mandate Boeing’s transparency and accountability in its 90-day quality plan with the aerospace manufacturer.
Chair of the Senate subcommittee on aviation, Ms. Duckworth emphasized that the company’s “safety and quality assurances will lack significance without proper transparency and accountability.”
Boeing submitted a quality assurance plan on May 30 after FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker instructed the company in February to develop a comprehensive strategy to address “systemic quality-control issues” in its manufacturing.
Mr. Whitaker discussed with Ms. Duckworth over the phone on June 3 and is scheduled to testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Washington on June 4.
“No matter how many planes Boeing manufactures, we need to see a firm and unwavering commitment to safety and quality that persists over time,” stated Mr. Whitaker after meeting with Boeing executives on May 30.
“This is about fundamental change, and there is much work to be done.”
In February, the administrator announced that Boeing would be prevented from increasing production on its 737 MAX after an unused emergency exit door panel blew out during an Alaskan Airlines flight on Jan. 5.
During a press conference following the May 30 meeting, Mr. Whitaker expressed that he does not anticipate Boeing meeting the requirements to boost production within the “next few months.”
He added that the FAA has not had further discussions with Boeing on this matter.
“I made it clear to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and other senior leaders that this plan does not signal the end of our enhanced oversight of Boeing and its suppliers, but the start of the next phase,” Mr. Whitaker said.
He noted that Boeing still has “a lot of work” to fulfill the FAA’s requirements, including implementing “systemic change” within the company.
“Our objective is to ensure that Boeing makes the necessary changes and has the right mechanisms in place to sustain those changes. Boeing has outlined their roadmap, and now they must execute,” Mr. Whitaker stated.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, an FAA spokesperson mentioned that the agency will “respond directly to the Senator.”
“The FAA always welcomes the opportunity to brief Congress,” the spokesperson added.
Boeing presented a plan that focuses on six safety-related production and manufacturing areas that the company intends to address.
The plan includes performance indicators such as employee proficiency, supplier shortages, response time to address issues, and the total hours needed for reworking each aircraft.
Boeing will leverage data to “offer real-time insights into production system health, enabling the company to detect and rectify potential quality and safety hazards before they escalate,” the plan states.
Mr. Calhoun, who participated in the meeting with Mr. Whitaker on May 30, will resign from the company by the end of the year as part of a comprehensive management restructuring following the door blow-out incident on Jan. 5.
Boeing has yet to announce a successor, but Mr. Calhoun expressed support for Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial division, as his replacement on June 4.
However, investors and analysts are seeking a new top executive for the aerospace company with engineering and CEO experience.
During Boeing’s annual meeting on May 17, Mr. Calhoun anticipated the FAA to “take whatever time is necessary to review that plan and hold [Boeing] accountable.”
“This marks more of a beginning than an end,” he remarked.
The company also faces potential criminal charges after the Justice Department revealed on May 14 that Boeing violated a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement.
The agreement allowed Boeing to avoid criminal fraud charges if it remained compliant for three years. This period was due to expire on Jan. 7, just two days after the Alaskan Airlines incident.
Boeing has refuted claims that it breached the settlement agreement.
The Epoch Times has contacted Boeing and the FAA for their comments.
Reuters contributed to this report.
