Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun attends Senate safety hearing | Wilnesh News

boeing company Chief Executive Dave Calhoun will testify before a Senate panel on Tuesday about the safety and manufacturing crisis after a door panel exploded on the company’s nearly new 737 Max 9 jets in January.

Calhoun, who said he will resign by the end of the year, faces questioning from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations as the company works to improve employee training and aircraft quality and repair its tarnished safety reputation. The company has yet to name a successor for Calhoun, who took over after the company’s previous leader was ousted over his handling of two fatal Boeing crashes.

“A lot has been said about Boeing’s culture,” Calhoun planned to tell the committee, according to written testimony ahead of the meeting. “We have heard those concerns loud and clear. Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making gains.” progress.

The hearing comes as Boeing faces possible U.S. prosecution after the Justice Department said last month that the planemaker violated a 2021 settlement involving 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that resulted in 346 people died. The agreement, which protects the company and its executives from criminal charges related to the crash, was due to expire days after it broke. Alaska Airlines January door panels. The Justice Department has until July 7 to decide whether to prosecute.

Several victims’ family members are expected to attend the hearing. Relatives of Max plane crash victims met with Justice Department officials late last month to urge U.S. prosecutions.

“Boeing has committed to overhauling its safety practices and culture,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman of the subcommittee, said in announcing the hearing earlier this month. Proved to be empty, the American people deserve an explanation.

Calhoun will appear before the committee on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET.

The Federal Aviation Administration has taken a tough stance against Boeing, with FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker saying the regulator will keep inspectors stationed at the company’s facilities until the agency is satisfied with safety improvements.

The FAA has halted Boeing Co.’s ability to increase production of its best-selling plane, the Max. Whitaker said last month it could take months to lift the restrictions.

Boeing’s plane output hit by crisis, forcing major customersFor example Southwest Airlines and United Airlines Adjust their growth and recruiting plans.

Boeing’s lower production and deliveries have hurt its cash flow, and the company warned investors last month that it would burn cash this year rather than generate it.

As of Monday’s close, Boeing shares were down more than 30% so far this year, while the S&P 500 index was up nearly 15%.

The company is working to eliminate quality defects in its jets and reduce so-called work rounds, in which production steps are completed out of order, as it takes steps to address the defects. Last month, Boeing pointed to a series of other changes to encourage workers to speak out about problems at its plants after several whistleblowers raised concerns about quality issues and retaliation.

In addition, Boeing also faces supply chain problems. spirit aerospace systems inc.Major suppliers to Boeing and Airbus said last week that titanium entered the supply chain with forged documents. The supplier said that despite the falsification of documents, more than 1,000 tests confirmed that the material was “aircraft-grade titanium.”

Boeing has been trying to acquire airframe supplier Spirit, and Calhoun said the deal was “most likely” to be finalized in the first half of this year.