Boeing’s Chief Executive Officer, Kelly Ortberg, is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee on Wednesday regarding the company’s plans to enhance safety protocols in the wake of multiple significant incidents, including a midair door plug failure that occurred in 2024.
According to Reuters, which has obtained Ortberg’s prepared statements, he will discuss Boeing’s commitment to improving its quality and safety culture during his testimony to the Senate Commerce Committee.
“Boeing has made serious missteps in recent years – and it is unacceptable,” Ortberg stated in the testimony. “In response, we have implemented comprehensive changes to our personnel, processes, and the overall structure of our organization.”
The incident in January 2024 involved a newly manufactured Boeing 737 MAX 9, in which a door plug detached midair during an Alaska Airlines flight after the aircraft departed a Boeing facility with missing bolts.
RESCUED NASA ASTRONAUTS: WE’D GO UP IN BOEING’S STARLINER AGAIN IF NEEDED
In response to the midair incident, the Federal Aviation Administration has limited Boeing’s production rate of the 737 MAX to 38 airplanes per month.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that Boeing has lost public trust following the door plug incident, as well as two tragic crashes in 2018 and 2019, which together claimed the lives of 346 individuals.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to charges of criminal fraud conspiracy linked to the two tragic crashes and has been ordered to pay a fine that could reach up to $487.2 million. A trial date has been set by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor for June 23 in the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal fraud case against the company.
DISTRICT JUDGE SETS TRIAL DATE IN BOEING 737 MAX FRAUD CASE
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | THE BOEING CO. | 138.86 | +2.27 | +1.66% |
Kelly Ortberg took the helm as CEO in August 2024, following the resignation of his predecessor, Dave Calhoun, which was prompted by the door plug incident.
GET Finance Newso BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
In light of ongoing concerns regarding the safety and quality of its aircraft, Boeing received a significant boost earlier this month when the U.S. Air Force chose the company to manufacture and supply its next generation of fighter jets, outperforming well-established rivals such as Lockheed Martin.
Finance Newso Business’ Suzanne O’Halloran contributed to this report.
