Outgoing Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun apologized directly to the families who lost loved ones in the Boeing crashes during his opening testimony before a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday.
“I want to speak directly to those who lost loved ones on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302,” Calhoun said, referring to the deadly crashes of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
“On behalf of everyone at Boeing, I personally apologize and am deeply saddened by your loss. Nothing is more important than the safety of those who fly on our aircraft, and every day we strive to honor the memory of those lost through our unwavering commitment to safety and quality,” Calhoun continued.
Plane executives will testify before the Senate Permanent Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ Subcommittee on Investigations in their first congressional testimony since a door plug blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
accident Spotlight on The problem is what aircraft manufacturers and the subcommittee’s chairman, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), have described as a “broken” safety culture.
Several whistleblowers have alleged that their efforts to raise concerns about manufacturing and quality led to retaliation from the company, including in the new allegations announced by the subcommittee on Tuesday morning.
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Boeing in connection with the company’s failure to find records of its work before the National Transportation Safety Board that the board had requested.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating Boeing, which has also been accused of not exercising sufficient oversight over the company, even though Boeing submitted a quality and safety improvement plan to the FAA last month.
