FAA chief to tell lawmakers agency will hold Boeing accountable for any safety violations

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Mike Whitaker will tell lawmakers on Tuesday that Boeing will hold the agency accountable for violating safety regulations, according to reports.

“We will explore the full scope of our enforcement authority to ensure that Boeing is held accountable for its regulatory violations,” Whitaker said in prepared comments shared with The Associated Press, while also ensuring that the agency conducts oversight. He also mentioned increasing the number of people in charge. Activities.

He is scheduled to testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee on Tuesday morning, with the first hearing centered on the Alaska Airlines incident in January in which a door panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger plane was blown off mid-flight. That is.

Committee leader released List of scheduled questions Friday, whether the FAA has found “evidence of persistent quality control deficiencies on any of Boeing’s production lines” and what further actions the FAA is considering following the explosions to ensure appropriate oversight. Issues such as whether there is sufficient staffing for the

Committee leaders also plan to ask questions about communications between the government, Boeing and the affected airlines (United Airlines and Alaska Airlines), as well as the FAA’s oversight of quality assurance inspections conducted by aircraft manufacturers. .

“We support previous Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decisions regarding the MAX 9 aircraft, including the announced audit of Boeing’s quality control and safety practices and investigation into Boeing’s 737 MAX 9 production. ” Committee leaders said in their final letter. week.

“These measures, including those related to flight resumption, are designed to ensure the highest manufacturing and quality control standards are maintained across our aviation ecosystem,” they added.

Boeing Co. has been under intense scrutiny since a crash in January that left a large hole in the side of a passenger plane over Oregon. The company also faces multiple lawsuits over airborne eruptions.

The company has also experienced backlash following two plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed hundreds of people in recent years.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is preparing to release a preliminary report on the incident, and Boeing is currently conducting an internal investigation.