WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will tell a U.S. Senate committee on Tuesday that the planemaker understands concerns about its safety culture after a mid-air emergency in January involving an Alaska 737 Max 9 jet sparked widespread concern.
“Much has been said about Boeing’s culture. We have heard these concerns loud and clear. Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress,” he wrote. The statement seen by Reuters.
“I know very well that this is an industry that we simply must get right, every time.”
Since the 737 Max 9’s door seal exploded on January 5, scrutiny of the planemaker by regulators and airlines has intensified. Boeing (NYSE:) changed management and Calhoun said in March that he would step down by the end of the year.
Calhoun will tell the Senate committee that Boeing “listened to our employees and acted on their ideas. We brought in an independent quality expert to evaluate our operations.”
Boeing is in talks to reacquire Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:), the maker of the 737 MAX fuselage.
Last week, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency had been “hands-off” in its oversight of Boeing before the Jan. 5 accident.