Boeing in the hot seat: Senate questions CEO about flight safety

The Boeing Company’s President and CEO Kelly Ortberg, spent much of Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill, in the other Washington.

Ortberg testified before the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee for the hearing titled “Safety First: Restoring Boeing’s Status as a Great American Manufacturer.”

Committee members examined the steps Boeing is taking to address production deficiencies and safety issues, following an incident on an Alaska Airlines Flight last year, when a door plug on a Boeing 737-MAX blew out mid-flight.

Since then, Boeing has been subject to additional safety audits and enhanced Federal Aviation Administration oversight.

“Let me start with just a simple question, which is, can travelers trust Boeing? 346 people died in the two 737-MAX-8 crashes. We are extremely fortunate no one died in the doorplug incident,” Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair, Senator Ted Cruz said. “Since 2018, Boeing’s mistakes have caused many people to question whether Boeing is still capable of making safe aircrafts.”

Ortbeg responded to this: “I’m not denying the horrible incidents you’ve outlined. We need to take immediate action, and we are taking action. My family flies on those aircraft as well… I want everybody to know the entire Boeing team is absolutely committed to building the highest quality aircraft in the world. Air traffic is the safest mode of transportation, and we need to continue that and continue to find and learn if there are incidents so these don’t turn into tragic accidents in the future.”

Boeing’s stock price is down, its public image has been tarnished, and it’s still embroiled in lawsuits.

Tacoma aviation attorney and Boeing Expert Mark Lindquist has been involved in a great number of those cases.

“What the victims’ families would like to see is the same thing, I think, everyone wants to see, which is Boeing manufacturing we can trust again. People want to be able to walk on a Boeing plane and feel safe,”  Lindquist said.

Washington State U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell is the ranking member on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and she wanted to remind people that Boeing remains “the largest exporter” in the country.

“I can assure you I believe in more exports and I’d like to see a brighter future for Boeing to return the trust for this iconic manufacturer,”  Cantwell said. “But we shouldn’t forget that it is also critical to our national defense… and our economy.”

However, Lindquist argued that Boeing has gotten “away” from a “focus on engineering” to a “focus on profits,” and will need to shift this model in order to be successful.

Moreover, Senator Cruz said he wanted to see the aviation company thrive: “Our country is better off economically, our aviation system is safer, and our nation is stronger when Boeing is stronger,” he said.

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