Boeing has recently been trying to improve its quality standards and Senator Tammy Duckworth, head of the aviation subcommittee, and an influential figure in the committee overseeing aviation issues has called for further actions. On Monday, Duckworth called on the FAA to require transparency and accountability as pillars of Boeing quality revival program.
In her statement, Senator Duckworth stressed that “Boeing’s safety and quality assurances will be meaningless without appropriate transparency and accountability” meaning that proper scrutiny is necessary in the sphere of aviation. This statement came after Boeing presented a quality improvement plan last Thursday to address the order of FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker in late February.
Administrator Whitaker talked on phone with Senator Duckworth on Monday, before him testifying before members of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee the next day. However, both the FAA and Boeing did not respond instantly to the remarks made by Duckworth on the issue.
In a recent statement, Administrator Whitaker emphasised the need for creating sustainable safety and quality culture within the Boeing’s company. However, no matter how many airplanes Boeing manufactures, there is a need to have a continuous and steady focus on safety and quality for a long-term basis as stated by Whitaker, thus pointing out the need to deal with root causes and avoid short-term Band Aid solutions.
Whereas, in February this year, Whitaker introduced a policy that prevents Boeing from increasing production of its bestselling 737 MAX model following a safety concern involving an Alaska Airlines flight. Following the identification of critical production areas, Boeing went further to reveal the areas that require improvement, and this underscores the company’s commitment to addressing inefficiencies. We will track the level of employee expertise as well as the number of hours devoted to rectifications per airplane.
Boeing’s strategic approach involves leveraging data to proactively identify and mitigate potential safety hazards in real-time, reflecting a concerted effort to prioritise safety in its production processes. Meanwhile, Boeing’s CEO Dave Calhoun, who recently engaged in discussions with Whitaker, is expected to depart from his role by the year’s end as part of a broader organisational restructuring prompted by the Alaska Airlines incident.
Despite Calhoun’s impending departure, Boeing has yet to announce a successor, signaling ongoing leadership transitions within the company as it navigates the complex terrain of quality assurance and regulatory compliance in the aviation industry.