US Lawmakers Urge Boeing CEO To Put 'Safety Ahead Of Profits' As Senators Probe Into 737 MAX 9 Safety Lapse

Boeing Co BA CEO Dave Calhoun met with U.S. senators on Wednesday amid ongoing scrutiny regarding the recent 737 MAX 9 blowout.

What Happened: Calhoun met with several U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). However, the CEO did not provide any explanation for the mid-air cabin panel blowout on a 737 MAX 9 earlier this month, reported Reuters.

Sen. Cantwell, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said “The American flying public and Boeing line workers deserve a culture of leadership at Boeing that puts safety ahead of profits.”

She also announced that the committee will hold hearings to investigate the root causes of the safety lapse.

Sen. Moran, the top Republican on the Commerce aviation safety subcommittee, revealed that Boeing has a general understanding of the cause of the blowout but is waiting for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to finalize its investigation.

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In a statement to Benzinga, Boeing said, "We continue to communicate transparently with Congress, the FAA and the NTSB. We are focused on taking action to strengthen quality and safety across Boeing."

Boeing did not comment on the CEO’s meetings with lawmakers. However, Calhoun told the media that Boeing fully understands “the gravity of the situation” and does not put planes in the air unless they have 100% confidence in them.

Why It Matters: The recent blowout incident has sparked concerns about the safety of Boeing’s aircraft. This comes after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended expanded checks on the Boeing 737 fleet due to potential issues with door plugs. The FAA’s directive followed the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after the mid-air cabin blowout incident.

Alaska Air Group Inc ALK CEO Ben Minicucci recently disclosed that internal inspections revealed a significant number of loose bolts on their 737 Max 9 aircraft, manufactured by Boeing. This revelation followed a near-miss incident earlier this month.

Meanwhile, The FAA announced on Wednesday that it would not approve any requests from Boeing for an expansion in production or additional production lines for the 737 MAX until the quality control issues are resolved.

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