Outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun’s anticipated appearance comes after whistleblowers alleged problems with aircraft production.
Boeing’s outgoing chief executive will appear before the US Senate to answer questions about whistleblower allegations about safety failures at the aviation giant.
CEO Dave Calhoun’s anticipated appearance on June 18 comes after four whistleblowers told a Senate hearing in April that there were serious problems with production of the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said Calhoun’s testimony would be a “necessary step” toward addressing Boeing’s failures and regaining public trust.
“Five years ago, Boeing promised to review its safety practices and culture. That promise turned out to be empty and the American people deserve an explanation,” Blumenthal said in a statement Wednesday.
“Years of putting profits ahead of safety, stock price ahead of quality, and production speed ahead of responsibility have brought Boeing to this moment of reckoning, and its empty promises can no longer be kept,” he added. the senator.
Boeing said it welcomed the opportunity “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 mode of transportation.”
“We are committed to fostering a culture of accountability and transparency while upholding the highest standards of safety and quality,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Boeing has been under intense scrutiny since a near-disaster in January when a 737 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines lost part of its fuselage mid-flight.
The incident renewed concerns about Boeing’s safety standards that came to light after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
The U.S. Justice Department last month accused Boeing of failing to honor the terms of a 2021 settlement that protected the aircraft maker from criminal prosecution over the 737 MAX crashes.
Boeing, which also faces a criminal investigation into the January air explosion, said it believes it has upheld its end of the deferred prosecution agreement.
Calhoun, who was named CEO in 2020, announced in March that he would step down as part of a broad management change at the company.
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