Embattled Boeing in spotlight as Congress calls whistleblower to testify about plane defects

Boeing is the subject of back-to-back Senate hearings Wednesday, as Congress examines allegations of major safety failures at the embattled aircraft manufacturer.

The Senate Commerce Committee heard from members of an expert panel that found serious flaws in Boeing's safety culture. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the public wants the Federal Aviation Administration and Congress to ensure that boarding one of the company's planes isn't dangerous.

"Flying commercial remains the safest way to travel, but understandably, recent incidents have left the flying public worried. The perception is things are getting worse,” Cruz said.

In a report issued in February, the expert panel said that despite improvements made after the crashes of two Boeing Max jets killed 346 people, Boeing’s safety culture remains flawed and employees who raise concerns could be subject to pressure and retaliation.

One of the witnesses, MIT aeronautics lecturer Javier de Luis, lost his sister when a Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in Ethiopia in 2019. De Luis commented on the disconnect between Boeing management’s words about safety and what workers observe on the factory floor.

In talking to Boeing workers, de Luis said he heard “there was a very real fear of payback and retribution if you held your ground.”

(AP)

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