Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun faced questions from U.S. senators about the company’s culture, with family members of Boeing crash victims yelling at him throughout the hearing.
Mr. Calhoun testified to Congress on Tuesday that the company had “learned” from past mistakes and that its employee reporting procedures were “effective,” but lawmakers still accused him of not doing enough to correct a culture of retaliation.
The U.S. company was recently in the spotlight when a door panel fell off one of Alaska Airlines’ new 737 Max aircraft in January, leaving a large hole.
As part of an ongoing investigation, Boeing whistleblowers told the Senate in April that there were serious production problems with the 737 Max, 787 Dreamliner and 777 models.
Mr. Calhoun, who became chief executive in 2020 and plans to leave later this year, told a Senate subcommittee that some of the problems stemmed from an “untrained workforce.”
He blamed layoffs and worker turnover that have plagued the industry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which he said contributed to the company’s manufacturing problems.
“A lot of it has to do with untrained labor. Honestly, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
The company faced heavy criticism after two 737 Max planes went missing five years ago in separate but nearly identical accidents, killing 346 people.
Several family members of those who died in these accidents attended the hearing holding up photos of their loved ones. They spoke beforehand at a press conference outside.
“I flew from England to Washington, D.C., to hear in person the CEO of Boeing tell the Senate and the world about any improvements the company had made in safety,” said Zipporah Kuria, whose father Photos of the Boeing 737 MAX8 jet that died in a 2019 crash.
“I will also continue to urge the U.S. government to hold Boeing and its corporate executives criminally responsible for the deaths of 346 people. We will not rest until we see justice.
Clariss Moore, whose daughter died in a Boeing plane crash in Ethiopia in 2019, confronted Mr Calhoun at the hearing and asked him about “my daughter’s last breaths on the plane”.
“Did she call me? Did someone hold her hand?” she asked.
Committee Chairman Richard Blumenthal kicked off the tense hearing by thanking the family “for their strength and courage to be with us.”
He also demanded to know what steps Boeing was taking to “end this broken safety culture.”
“I assure you, I listened to the whistleblower,” Mr. Calhoun responded.
He added that he had not spoken with the whistleblower and acknowledged that the company retaliated against several whistleblowers.
“I know this happens,” he said, adding that he didn’t know how many employees had been fired or disciplined for speaking out about safety issues.
During the hearing, Mr Calhoun stood, turned to his family and said: “I apologize” – his voice appearing to crack with emotion.
Boeing Chief Engineer Howard McKenzie also testified that there is “absolutely” a safety-first culture within Boeing’s engineering team.
In May, the U.S. Department of Justice notified Boeing that it was launching a criminal investigation into its conduct.
Several family members said Tuesday they wanted criminal charges filed against the company.
