US plans ‘bigger picture exam’ of Boeing issues, Buttigieg says

The Biden administration will undertake a wide-ranging review of oversight and quality control at Boeing Co. after the planemaker’s latest missteps, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration is examining specific manufacturing concerns related to Boeing’s 737 Max 9 aircraft after an incident involving a fuselage section that ripped away from an Alaska Airlines plane midflight, “but also a bigger picture examination of any and all quality issues,” Buttigieg said.

“I think that’s going to include a structural discussion about how best to conduct this kind of oversight and going forward,” he continued.

The comments signal that Boeing faces long-lasting repercussions from the blow-out of a door plug minutes after the Alaska Airlines jet took off from Portland on Jan. 5. Federal regulators have launched a far-reaching investigation of Boeing’s control over quality in its factories and supply chain after early clues and a whistleblower’s allegations pointed to a manufacturing error within the planemaker’s Renton, Washington plant.

Buttigieg spoke to reporters a day after FAA administrator Mike Whitaker said his agency was evaluating whether there were systemic issues at Boeing. A broader inquiry could further pressure the aviation giant, which has faced intensified scrutiny since a pair of fatal crashes to the Max lines in 2018 and 2019.

Read more: FAA May Expand Boeing Probe Beyond Max 9, Agency Chief Says

Buttigieg added that “right now everything is on the table” to make sure that the design and manufacturing of Boeing aircraft was as strong as it could be.

Earlier Wednesday, Boeing Chief Executive David Calhoun said that he believed the questions around the company’s Max 9 planes could be resolved in “days and weeks, not months” after meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. His remarks came after Alaska Airlines Chief Executive Ben Minicucci said that his airline’s internal inspection of the planes uncovered “many” of the aircraft had loose bolts — an issue also reported by United Airlines.

“I’m angry. I’m more than frustrated and disappointed. I am angry,” Minicucci told CNN, adding that he wanted Boeing to explain “what are they going to do to improve their quality programs in-house.” 

After meeting Calhoun, Senator Maria Cantwell, the Democrat from Washington who heads the Senate Commerce Committee, said she would hold hearings “to investigate the root causes of these safety lapses.”