Boeing CEO to testify in Senate hearing June 18

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will testify before a Senate panel on June 18 to answer lawmaker questions about whistleblower allegations and quality control at the aircraft maker as it navigates a safety crisis.

“I look forward to Mr. Calhoun’s testimony, which is a necessary step in meaningfully addressing Boeing’s failures, regaining public trust, and restoring the company’s central role in the American economy and national defense,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

“Years of putting profits ahead of safety, stock price ahead of quality, and production speed ahead of responsibility has brought Boeing to this moment of reckoning, and its hollow promises can no longer stand,” he said.

The hearing comes after a company engineer alleged the assembly of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners put excessive stress on the planes and reduce their lifespans, allegations Boeing called inaccurate. The  Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

“We welcome the opportunity to appear before the Subcommittee 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 form of transportation,” Boeing said in a statement. “We are committed to fostering a culture of accountability and transparency while upholding the highest standards of safety and quality.”

Boeing has been trying to regain its footing in the wake of two deadly crashes of its bestselling 737 Max in 2018 and 2019. But a door plug that blew out of a nearly new 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight in January put fresh scrutiny on the manufacturer from lawmakers and the FAA.

Calhoun in March said he would step down by year’s end, part of a broad executive shake-up at the plane maker.