OAN’s Avril Elfie
1:15pm – Tuesday, February 6, 2024
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told lawmakers he will use his authority to hold Boeing accountable for safety violations.
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On Tuesday, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told lawmakers that the agency will do everything in its power to hold Boeing accountable following the 737 Max 9 crash on an Alaska Airlines flight last month.
“We will explore the full scope of our enforcement powers to ensure that Boeing is held accountable for its regulatory violations,” Whitaker said.
He also said the agency plans to increase the number of personnel responsible for surveillance activities.
He was scheduled to testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee on Tuesday morning.
This is the first hearing related to the Alaska Airlines incident last month in which a door panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger plane was blown off in midair.
Scheduled questions asked whether the FAA had found “evidence of ongoing quality control deficiencies on any of Boeing’s production lines” and what additional actions the FAA is considering in the wake of the explosion. Topics included whether there was sufficient staffing to provide adequate oversight. , announced by committee leaders on Friday.
Committee leaders will ask questions about communications between the government, Boeing Co. and affected airlines, including Alaska Airlines and United Airlines.
Questions will also be asked about the FAA’s oversight of quality assurance inspections conducted by aircraft manufacturers.
“We support the decisions taken by the government so far. [FAA] 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 a letter last 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 has come under increased scrutiny since an accident in January that left a gaping hole in the side of the plane.
The National Transportation Safety Board is preparing to release a preliminary report on the incident while an internal investigation into Boeing is conducted.
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