Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun draws criticism from US politicians in 'moment of reckoning'

Departing chief executive apologises to relatives of victims who died in 2018 and 2019 crashes

Boeing's departing chief executive on Tuesday apologised to relatives of victims who died in two crashes on 737 Max jets.

Dave Calhoun appeared before a US Senate hearing where he was grilled on the company's safety practices and retaliation against whistleblowers.

Mr Calhoun stood at the witness table during his prepared remarks before the Senate permanent investigations committee to face the victims' relatives who attended the hearing, titled “Boeing's broken safety culture”.

“I apologise for the grief that we have caused,” he told the relatives.

Tuesday's hearing marked his first remarks before Congress since a door plug blew out of a 737 Max 9 aircraft during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

No one was injured in the incident, but it raised new concerns about the company's safety practices.

“This hearing is a moment of reckoning. It is about a company … that somehow lost its way,” committee chairman Richard Blumenthal said.

Mr Calhoun's 2020 appointment was meant to demonstrate Boeing's commitment to safety after the 2018 and 2019 crashes.

“But then this past January, the facade faded, literally blew off the hollow shell that had been Boeing's promises to the world,” Mr Blumenthal said.

When asked by Mr Blumenthal if Boeing has done enough to address safety concerns, Mr Calhoun responded: “I asked that question every day, have we done enough?”

Mr Blumenthal recommended Boeing be prosecuted, citing “mounting evidence” that the company breached a 2021 agreement with the Justice Department to address safety.

“Let's put it very bluntly – 346 people died because of a faulty control system … that Boeing knew was going to cause a crash at some point,” Mr Blumenthal said.

Boeing CEO pressed on whistleblower retaliation

Whistleblowers have come forward since the Alaska Airlines incident, describing Boeing's culture as one that has failed to address safety concerns and clamps down on employees who speak out against it.

Ahead of the hearing, the committee released a new report in which a quality assurance investigator at Boeing's plant in Washington alleged the company lost hundreds of faulty parts.

Family members of those who died on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight0 610, as Boeing chief Dave Calhoun appears before a Senate panel hearing on June 18. AFP

Politicians recalled reports in which whistleblowers were harassed by their employers after coming forward.

Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour, who appeared before a Senate panel in April, said he was threatened with physical violence.

After his testimony, the US Federal Aviation Administration launched an investigation into Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which are used for international flights.

Another whistleblower, John Barnett, who worked on 787 jets in South Carolina, reported his supervisor called him 19 times on one day and 21 times on another day after raising concerns about missing parts.

“And when Barnett asked his supervisor about those calls, he was told … 'I'm going to push you until you break'. He broke,” Mr Blumenthal said, referring to Barnett's death.

Mr Calhoun was unable to say how many of Boeing's employees were fired for retaliating against whistleblowers.

Boeing under public and private pressure

Mr Calhoun's testimony comes as Washington continues to increase its investigations into Boeing after the Alaska Air incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently announced two more investigations into Boeing over titanium on some of its jets, as well as a “Dutch Roll” that occurred during one flight at the weekend.

In March, the FAA said an audit of Boeing and its supplier Spirit Aerosystems showed the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.

Frustration over Boeing's safety concerns have also spilt into the private sector.

Executives at American Airlines, Alaska Air Group and United Airlines all criticised Boeing over its safety practices, as has the chair of Emirates Airline.

Boeing's quarterly deliveries also dipped in the first quarter this year, and airlines are expecting delays in receiving Boeing jets.

Mr Calhoun is expected to step down as Boeing chief executive this year.