Boeing CEO apologizes to families of crash victims at Senate hearing

Outgoing Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun turned to apologize directly to the family members who lost loved ones in Boeing crashes during his opening testimony Tuesday before a Senate subcommittee.

“I would like to speak directly to those who lost loved ones on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302,” Calhoun said, referencing fatal crashes of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

“I want to personally apologize, on behalf of everyone at Boeing. We are deeply sorry for your losses. Nothing is more important than the safety of the people who step on board our airplanes. Every day, we seek to honor the memory of those lost through a steadfast commitment to safety and quality,” Calhoun continued.

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The planemaker executive is testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, his first congressional testimony since the door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

The accident shined a spotlight on the planemaker and what Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who chairs the subcommittee, described as a “broken” safety culture.

Several whistleblowers have come forward to allege their efforts to raise manufacturing and quality concerns have prompted retaliation from the company, including new allegations released by the subcommittee Tuesday morning.

The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into Boeing related to the company’s inability to locate records for work done on the panel requested by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating Boeing. The planemaker turned in its quality and safety improvement plan to the regulator, which has also been accused of lax oversight of the company, last month.