Secretary Wants Report Of Company Status On Safety, Quality Issues

New U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has extended a request for Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg to meet with him in Washington, D.C., for talks concerning the status of actions Boeing has taken to address safety and quality issues that have plagued the company the past several years.

Ortberg became Boeing’s CEO in August 2024 after a shakeup in management resulted in the departure of former CEO Dave Calhoun.

Duffy posted on X saying, “I've requested that the Boeing CEO come to D.C. as soon as possible to provide a full accounting of the steps the company is taking to address its quality and safety issues. Following that, I will visit Boeing myself to evaluate firsthand the measures being implemented to ensure its planes meet the highest safety standards.”

Boeing has been under fire following two high-profile accidents involving its 737 MAX aircraft that resulted in the deaths of nearly 350 people. Those crashes caused the FAA to ground the aircraft in March 2019, but ended in November 2020.

Then in January 2024, a door panel separated from an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX causing a rapid decompression and led to Alaska Airlines subsequently grounding its entire fleet of 737 Max aircraft.

The FAA conducted a safety and quality audit of Boeing that it said found “multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”

The audit also identified non-compliance issues with manufacturing processes, parts handling and storage, and product control. These brought the FAA to impose limited production of the 737 MAX and increased oversight of the company.

Clearly, Duffy will ask Ortberg for a complete accounting of where Boeing stands regarding the steps it has taken to address the issues, and for his estimate of how long it will take the company to return to pre-2024 production without compromising quality or safety.

FMI:  www.boeing.com/