Boeing CEO Ortberg to testify on safety enhancements before US Senate Committee
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has agreed to appear before the US Senate Commerce Committee to detail what steps the company has taken to enhance its focus on safety, US Senator Ted Cruz has announced.
Senator Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will hold a full committee hearing titled “Safety First: Restoring Boeing’s Status as a Great American Manufacturer” on April 2, 2025, the US Senate announced.
The hearing will examine “steps Boeing has taken to address production deficiencies and safety issues” identified after a door plug detached from a Boeing 737 MAX 9 during a flight in January 2024.
Since then, Boeing has been subject to additional safety audits and enhanced Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight.
According to written testimony reviewed by Reuters, Ortberg is prepared to inform the US Senate Committee that while Boeing has made “serious missteps” in recent years, it has implemented “sweeping changes” in response to the door plug incident.
“Boeing has made serious missteps in recent years – and it is unacceptable. In response, we have made sweeping changes to the people, processes, and overall structure of our company,” Ortberg said in the written testimony. “No one is more committed to turning our company around than our team.
In January 2024, following the incident, the FAA set a production limit for Boeing 737 MAX at 38 jets per month. The decision was made after it was discovered that uninstalled bolts led to the separation of a door plug from a 737-9, raising serious questions about the entire production process of the US manufacturer.
Additionally, the incident raised significant concerns regarding quality and safety, resulting in ongoing challenges for Boeing, including a sharp decline in aircraft deliveries in 2024. The company announced it delivered 180 fewer commercial aircraft in 2024 than 2023.
“Culture is perhaps the most predominant change we are making as a company,” Ortberg said in the testimony , adding that company leaders are “spending more time listening and learning from our employees, working to restore trust, and holding leadership accountable.”
On March 14, 2025, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said that Boeing lost public trust due to several safety issues and stated that the FAA will not lift Boeing’s 38-plane per month production cap until Boeing implements quality improvements.
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Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has agreed to appear before the US Senate Commerce Committee to detail what steps…
The post Boeing CEO Ortberg to testify on safety enhancements before US Senate Committee appeared first on AeroTime.
