The US aircraft manufacturer’s boss acknowledges the “seriousness” of the situation before a Senate committee

This is the first time Dave Calhoun has been publicly questioned since the 737 Max 9 lost a door stop on January 5th.

Boeing 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner, 777… In recent years, the US airline manufacturer has faced several production and quality problems with its commercial aircraft. The planemaker’s boss, Dave Calhoun, was questioned Tuesday, June 18, before a Senate hearing to answer these safety concerns. “We understand the gravity and are committed to moving forward with transparency and accountability while increasing employee investment.” He declared.

He spoke publicly for the first time since the Jan. 5 incident in which an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 lost a stopper door (a cover that prevents excessive emergency evacuation).

Appointed CEO of Boeing in early 2020, where he had been a director since 2009, Dave Calhoun’s mission is to turn things around after two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

But Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, the chairman of the inquiry, issued a condemnation at the start of the session. “A culture [d’entreprise] Continually putting profits first, pushing the envelope and neglecting their employees.”

The commission of inquiry has already, in mid-April, heard four whistleblowers and released new elements reported by other whistleblowers on Tuesday morning. Several audits and investigations have identified several problems “Incompatibility“And deficiencies, particularly in quality control, the senator criticized him for “Erosion of Safety Culture” to “Take care [des] Shareholders”.

A former prosecutor, Richard Blumenthal, weighed in on Tuesday “Greater Elements” A so-called Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) to initiate proceedings against Boeing over two fatal accidents in 2021. According to the US Department of Justice, Boeing does not “failed to fulfill its obligations” Under this Agreement. Boeing, accused of cheating in the 737 MAX certification process, agreed to pay $2.5 billion and, among other things, to strengthen its compliance program.

Threatened with criminal charges in Texas federal court, the group formally challenged the department’s findings last week. The latter must decide whether or not to proceed before July 7.