Outgoing FAA Chief Says Boeing’s Safety Turnaround ‘Not a One-Year Project’
Main points
- Boeing is working to improve its safety practices, but FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Thursday that the plan “is not a one-year project.”
- Whitaker, who will leave the FAA later this month, said the agency is still meeting with Boeing weekly to assess the planemaker’s progress.
- On Friday, Boeing outlined its safety program and some of the steps it took last year.
Alaska Airlines has been in business for nearly a year (ALK) events seen a door Panel separation From Boeing (Bachelor) With the plane in midair, outgoing FAA chief Mike Whitaker said the plane maker’s safety turnaround plan was “not a one-year project.”
Whitaker wrote in a blog post on Thursday The agency’s “enhanced oversight He will stay on before leaving the FAA when President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month. Whitaker said the agency is “actively monitoring the results” of Boeing’s efforts to improve safety measures, including meeting weekly with Boeing executives.
Boeing needs ‘culture shift’ to focus on safety
“But this is not a one-year project,” Whitaker wrote. “Boeing needs to make a fundamental cultural shift that puts safety and quality ahead of profits. This will require continued effort and commitment from Boeing, as well as our unwavering review.”
On Friday, Boeing also outlined its future safety plans and some of the milestones it achieved last year. The company said its plans focus on investing in training workers, streamlining manufacturing processes, reducing the number of defects in the supply chain and promoting a “culture of safety and quality.”
The company said it has taken a series of steps, such as investing in an improved employee safety reporting program, introducing new random quality checks on the production line and working to reduce defects on 737 airframes produced by Spirit AeroSystems. Reacquiring suppliers.
Boeing shares were little changed on Friday, with shares down nearly a third in 2024.