Boeing's current CEO, Dave Calhoun, will appear before a U.S. Senate panel on June 18 to address concerns over safety and quality that have arisen from a series of incidents, leading regulators to limit the production of the company's bestselling 737 MAX aircraft.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the permanent investigative subcommittee, stated that Calhoun will testify on a range of issues.
In February, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibited Boeing from increasing 737 MAX production after a door panel burst on an Alaska Airlines-operated 737 MAX 9 flight on January 5.
Blumenthal said that following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people, "Boeing promised to improve its safety practices and culture. That promise has proven hollow, and the American people deserve an explanation."
Calhoun has announced he will step down by the end of the year as part of broader management changes, amid multiple government investigations and demands from investors and airlines for a new CEO.
Calhoun, a longtime Boeing board member with a background at General Electric, took over the position in 2020 after his predecessor was ousted in a scandal.
According to industry sources, candidates for Boeing's CEO include Pat Shanahan, CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, and Stephanie Pope, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Boeing stated that it welcomes the opportunity for Calhoun to discuss measures taken to enhance safety and quality during the Senate hearing.
In an April hearing of Blumenthal's committee, a Boeing engineer testified that the company had taken dangerous shortcuts in the manufacturing of certain planes and marginalized him when he raised safety concerns, a claim Boeing has disputed.
Blumenthal stated that Calhoun's testimony is a necessary step toward substantially addressing Boeing's issues, restoring public trust, and reestablishing its pivotal role in the U.S. economy and national defense.
Boeing's chief engineer, Howard McKenzie, will accompany Calhoun but will not testify, the committee indicated.
Later on Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee announced that FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker would testify on June 13 about the agency's oversight of Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers.
Whitaker gave Boeing 90 days at the end of February to develop a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality control issues."
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that Boeing had violated a 2021 agreement that protected the company from criminal prosecution over the fatal 737 MAX crashes. Boeing is also facing a criminal investigation related to the Alaska Airlines incident.
Boeing said it believes it has complied with the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement.
