Senate Hearings: Boeing Faces Scrutiny Amid Safety Concerns And Whistleblower Allegations

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing next week featuring a panel of experts who released a February report critical of Boeing’s safety culture.

Since the midair door blowout incident on Jan. 5, Boeing’s reputation has taken a hit as the manufacture has been plagued with whistleblower allegations, management shakeups and continual production delays.

Panel members Javier de Luis, an aeronautics expert at MIT; Tracy Dillinger, a NASA expert on safety culture; and Najmedin Meshkati, a professor and expert on aviation safety, will testify during the April 17 hearing. The FAA convened the panel in early 2023 with the intention of Boeing to review its report, address the panel’s recommendations and come up with an action plan within six months.

In addition to Wednesday’s hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hear testimony from Whistleblower Sam Salehpour—a company engineer alleging that Boeing dismissed safety concerns related to its production of 787 and 777 jets.

Salehpour’s concerns made headlines after being featured in a New York Times article earlier this week where he accused the company of cutting corners in the assembly process.

According to USA Today, Boeing has dismissed Salehpour's claims as "inaccurate," emphasizing that they do not reflect the comprehensive efforts Boeing has undertaken to ensure the quality and long-term safety of its aircraft.

Boeing CEO David Calhoun was also invited to testify, but it is unclear if he will attend.