Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on April 2, 2025, hearing about Boeing’s commitment to address safety concerns in the wake of the January 2024 air emergency involving the new 737 Max in Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, USA.
Kencedeno | Reuters
Washington – Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told Senator Wednesday that he was pleased with the company’s progress in improving manufacturing and safety practices following several accidents, including last year’s catastrophe.
Ortberg was faced with questions from the Senate Commerce Committee on how to ensure that past accidents and manufacturing defects are not repeated at his first hearing since becoming CEO last August.
The committee chair, Sen. R.-Texas, said he wanted to invite Boeing to succeed and to the company’s managers and factory workers to report their opinions on its conversion plan. “Think of my door open,” he said.
Ortberg admitted that the company still has work to do.
“Boeing has made serious mistakes in recent years, and that’s not acceptable. In response, we have made drastic changes to our people, processes and overall structure,” Autoberg said in his testimony. “We still have work ahead of us, but these deep changes are supported by our deep commitment from all of us to the safety of our products and services.”
Boeing executives have worked for years to put the lasting effects of two deadly crashes on the bestselling Max plane behind it.
Autoberg said Boeing is discussing with the Department of Justice about an amended judicial agreement arising from federal fraud charges in the development of Boeing’s bestseller, 737 Max. Previous plea deals reached last July were later rejected by a federal judge.
Boeing had agreed to plead guilty to fraudulent US government, paying up to $487.2 million and conspiring to set up a corporate monitor in the company for three years.
“We are now in the process of coming up with another agreement back at DOJ,” Autoberg said at the hearing. “I want to resolve this as quickly as anyone else. We’re still arguing. Hopefully we’ll get a new agreement soon.”
Asked by Sen. Maria Cantwell, a ranking Democrat on the committee, if he had any issues with him having a corporate monitor, Ortberg replied: “I personally have no issues, no.”
Ortberg and other Boeing executives have recently outlined improvements to the manufacturer’s overall production line, including reducing flaws and risks from so-called travel works, and performing tasks within the last few months.
But lawmakers and regulators are continuing to strengthen scrutiny of the company, the top US exporter.
“Boeing is an American great maker and we should all hope that it will flourish,” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican and chairman of the committee, said in a statement in February. “Given Boeing’s past missteps and issues, the flying public deserves to hear what changes are being made to rehabilitate the company’s damaged reputation.”
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration produced production of Boeing’s 737 aircraft at 38 a month after the door plug blowout in January 2024. The agency plans to maintain that limit, although Boeing produces below that level.
Autoberg said at a hearing Wednesday that the company could increase production rates for its 38 largest planes a month during this year, but Boeing said it would not push it if the production line is not stable.
FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau said at a Senator’s hearing last week that the company’s oversight would “extend to continuous monitoring of Boeing’s manufacturing practices, maintenance procedures and software updates.”
Fix: Chris Rocheroe plays the FAA administrator. Previous versions were incorrect in his title.
