Jamie Spencer
Ortberg tells Senate: “I’m pressuring the team to do it right”
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday that the company is prioritizing safety over speed following the January 2024 mid-air emergency involving a 737 MAX 9. Ortberg, who took over as CEO in August, said Boeing is working to rebuild trust and overhaul internal processes.
“I’m not pressuring the team to go fast. I’m pressuring the team to do it right,” Ortberg said during the hearing. He added that while he was hopeful Boeing could ramp back up to producing 38 737 MAX jets per month later this year — and eventually exceed that — he declined to commit to a specific timeline.
Ortberg emphasized that airlines remain supportive despite delivery delays, noting: “They know we’ve got to do this right.”
Fallout from MAX 9 Mid-Air Incident
The hearing follows increased scrutiny after an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 aircraft suffered a door panel blowout in January 2024. Investigators discovered four bolts were missing from the panel, raising serious concerns over Boeing’s quality control and safety culture.
“We’ve made drastic changes to our internal process to ensure that this will never happen again,” Ortberg stated. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since capped 737 MAX production at 38 units per month and is reviewing two new versions of the aircraft still awaiting approval.
Criticism from Lawmakers
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz sharply criticized Boeing’s past practices. “Insufficient oversight of third-party suppliers and a lack of sufficient internal auditing procedures created an unsustainable, lack of safety culture at Boeing,” he said.
Ortberg acknowledged “serious missteps” in recent years and said Boeing has enacted “sweeping changes.”
Ongoing Legal and Regulatory Challenges
Ortberg may also face questions on other issues, including:
- The delayed delivery of the new Air Force One
- The impact of U.S. trade tariffs on aircraft supply chains
- The status of Boeing’s criminal fraud case related to misleading representations made before the fatal 2018 and 2019 MAX crashes
Those crashes killed a total of 346 people and led to a years-long grounding of the 737 MAX fleet. In July 2023, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud conspiracy and pay at least $243.6 million for violating a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement.
Last week, a U.S. judge scheduled a June 23 trial after reports surfaced that Boeing may seek to withdraw from its plea deal.
Calls for Cultural Overhaul
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently stated that Boeing has “lost the trust of the American people” and will need strict oversight going forward. The former FAA chief added that it could take years to shift Boeing’s internal culture.
Ortberg concluded by reaffirming the company’s commitment to transparency and safety, acknowledging that rebuilding Boeing’s reputation will be a long but necessary process.
