FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker has told a US Congress hearing that improvements in Boeing’s safety culture could take three to five years, emphasising the need for long-term reforms beyond short-term progress.
Congress is conducting two days of hearings focused on Boeing’s safety turnaround efforts, following previous criticisms of the FAA’s oversight and recent emergencies involving Boeing aircraft.
Whitaker indicated that the FAA has increased the use of in-person inspectors at Boeing and has restricted production increases of the 737 MAX until significant quality and safety improvements are made.
Boeing faces multiple legal challenges, including a plea agreement for a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and a commitment to invest over $455m in safety and compliance initiatives, amidst ongoing frustrations from US lawmakers over past fatal crashes.
In June,Whitaker said the agency was “too hands off” in oversight of Boeing before the January door blow-out in a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9
Mr Whitaker said: “It is not a six-month programme – it is a three-year to five-year programme. On culture it is a long-term project…. There is progress but they are not where they need to be.”
