Outgoing Boeing CEO David Calhoun has been called to testify before a Senate subcommittee about the company’s troubled jetliner amid new safety allegations from a whistleblower. .
A lawyer for whistleblower Sam Salepour said the company prioritized profits over safety and “involuntarily” placed him into the Flight 777 program after he raised concerns, according to AFP. He accused them of retaliating by deporting him.
The commission will hold a hearing next week for Mr. Calhoun, who plans to retire as CEO at the end of 2024, to address safety concerns related to the manufacturing and assembly of the 787 Dreamliner. did.
The subcommittee said in its letter that these issues could pose “potentially catastrophic safety risks.”
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged the investigation after the allegations were outlined in a report. new york times article It describes the accusations made by Salepour, who has worked for Boeing for more than 10 years.
“Despite the known and well-founded issues raised by Mr. Salepour, Boeing would rather bring the aircraft to market as soon as possible than follow Mr. Salepour’s warnings,” attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks wrote in a statement. “I prioritized this,” he said, pointing out most of his “serious flaws.” 1,500 Boeing airplanes.
Boeing, which has come under intense scrutiny over a number of safety issues, said it had “complete confidence” in the Dreamliner, denied allegations of retaliation against employees and issued a detailed defense of the plane.
The whistleblowing comes after an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 flight made an emergency landing in January after a fuselage panel exploded during the flight.
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In response to the incident, the FAA froze Boeing’s MAX production and required the aircraft manufacturer to demonstrate improved operations and quality control.
Earlier Tuesday, Boeing reported a significant drop in first-quarter aircraft deliveries. Company officials say the production stoppage is part of strengthening safety measures after the Alaska Airlines accident in January.
Both the 787 and 737 Max planes have been plagued by manufacturing defects that have sporadically delayed deliveries and left airlines short of planes during busy travel seasons.
As Breitbart News reported, Calhoun announced in March that he would retire at the end of the year.
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His resignation comes amid Boeing’s biggest safety crisis since the crashes of two Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019.
Boeing delivered 83 commercial jets in the first quarter, a 36% decrease from the same period last year.
Boeing stock fell 1.9% on Tuesday following news of Calhoun’s summons by the Senate.
Associated Press and AFP contributed to this article
