Alaska Airlines N704AL, a 737 Max 9, which made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport on January 5, is parked in a maintenance hangar in Portland, Oregon, on January 23, 2024.
Patricio T. Fallon | AFP | fake images
boeing CEO Dave Calhoun met with several U.S. senators Wednesday on Capitol Hill as scrutiny intensifies on company leaders over a burst door plug on one of the company's 737 Max 9 planes.
“I am here today in a spirit of transparency… [and to] answer all their questions, because they have a lot of them,” Calhoun told reporters.
The meetings were arranged at Calhoun's request, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the planes after a door plug exploded on Jan. 5. Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a nearly new 737 Max 9, was taking off from Portland, Oregon, exposing passengers to force so violent that it sucked in headrests and seat backs.
The FAA is still reviewing data from 40 initial inspections of the planes before it can approve safety review instructions that clear the way for the planes to return to service.
“It has been difficult to predict [how long that process will take]”But as soon as we fix it, it will be back up and running.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told reporters after his meeting with Calhoun that the Senate is considering addressing airline safety in the FAA reauthorization bill.
“Aviation safety can't be reactive. It has to be proactive. And that's why we need to get this damn FAA reauthorization done,” Sullivan said.
Earlier Wednesday, the Seattle Times reported that the fuselage panel that exploded during the Alaska Airlines flight, made by AeroSystems Spiritit was removed for repair and then incorrectly reinstalled by Boeing mechanics, not Spirit mechanics.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2024, before meeting with a group of senators.
Jim Watson | AFP | fake images
Calhoun and Boeing declined to comment on that report Wednesday, citing an ongoing federal investigation.
“As the aviation safety agency responsible for investigating this accident, only the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board can release information about the investigation,” Boeing said in a statement about the Seattle Times report. “As part of this investigation, Boeing cannot comment and will refer you to the NTSB for any information.”
The NTSB did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shares of Spirit AeroSystems were up 6% by midday Wednesday, boosted by that report. The stock is down more than 10% since the January 5 Alaska Airlines incident. Boeing shares were trading about 2% higher on Wednesday, but have lost more than 10% since the incident.
