NEW YORK, June 6, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Boeing's outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun will
testify before a US Senate panel later this month to answer questions about
safety and production issues at the aircraft manufacturer, the company said
Wednesday.

The June 18 appearance in front of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations follows an April hearing, in which four whistleblowers alleged
there was safety problems in the production of three of the four commercial
planes currently produced by Boeing -- the 737 MAX, the 787 Dreamliner and
the 777.

"I look forward to Mr. Calhoun's testimony, which is a necessary step in
meaningfully addressing Boeing's failures, regaining public trust, and
restoring the company's central role in the American economy and national
defense," said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the
subcommittee.

In a statement to AFP, Boeing said it welcomed the opportunity to appear in
front of the panel "to share the actions we have taken, and will continue to
take, to strengthen safety and quality and ensure that commercial air travel
remains the safest form of transportation."

The company came under intense scrutiny in January in the wake of a near-
disastrous Alaska Airlines flight, in which a 737 MAX was forced to make an
emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out in mid-flight.

The incident revived major questions around Boeing's safety practices that
had initially arisen following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, but which
had subsided following a lengthy grounding of the 737 MAX.

A probe by the US Federal Aviation Administration has identified "non-
compliance" issues in Boeing's manufacturing process.

The mid-air emergency prompted the regulator to put a stop to the expansion
of
737 MAX production.

On May 30, the company submitted a government-mandated "comprehensive action
plan" to address the safety issues.

It is also in the midst of an executive search after announcing on March 25
that Calhoun would step down as CEO at the end of 2024, part of a leadership
shakeup that also replaced the head of commercial plane production and the
chair of the board of directors.