Boeing CEO to face tough questions from senators on safety

Lawmakers have been scrutinizing the company since a January 2024 mid-air emergency involving a new 737 MAX 9 that was missing four key bolts raised fresh questions about Boeing's quality and safety culture, as well as regulatory oversight.

«New leadership at Boeing will get a chance to tell Congress how they are implementing new safety standards and creating a stronger safety culture,» said Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the committee.

Ortberg will tell senators Boeing made «serious missteps» in recent years but has since made «sweeping changes», according to a copy of prepared testimony seen by Reuters and confirmed by the planemaker.

«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 will say in his written testimony.

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Ortberg told employees in a separate email the hearing «is an important step in our work together to restore trust in Boeing.»

Ortberg may also face questions on other issues, including the company's delayed Air Force One delivery schedule, the impact of tariffs and the status of the planemaker's criminal case involving representations it made about the 737 MAX before fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people.

In February, President Donald Trump said he was not happy with Boeing and might have to go a different route with the next generation of Air Force One, the presidential transport planes.

Ortberg took over as CEO in August of last year. His predecessor Dave Calhoun announced his resignation shortly after the January mid-air incident, in which an Alaska Airlines door panel blew out, and testified before a Senate panel in