David Calhoun  became the CEO of Boeing in 2020|Narendra Modi|CC BY 3.0

Boeing CEO David Calhoun testified before Congress on Tuesday in a subcommittee meeting that addressed serious flight safety issues plaguing the company in the aftermath of the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 incident, where a door plug blew off mid-flight on January 5.

He also acknowledged allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers, admitting that the company had retaliated against them.

The Senate hearing, titled “Boeing’s broken safety culture,” was Calhoun’s first testimony since the Alaska mishap.

During the hearing, Calhoun expressed deep remorse to families affected by the fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that combined claimed 364 lives.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, chairing the subcommittee, accused Calhoun of prioritizing profits over safety.

The CEO spent over two hours addressing the aviation giant’s production woes. He faced tough questions about his $32.8 million compensation in 2023 and Boeing’s safety protocols. He was also asked about the company’s efforts to improve safety.

Earlier in the day, yet another whistleblower, quality assurance investigator Sam Mohawk, reported that defective parts may have entered Boeing’s production line due to Boeing’s mishandling of faulty airplane parts. He also claimed that his supervisors had instructed him to hide this information and the parts from federal regulators.

Previous testimonies by Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour highlighted the production of defective planes and the suppression of safety concerns.

In addition to the Senate scrutiny, Boeing may face legal actions, including criminal prosecution by the DOJ.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received numerous safety reports from Boeing employees following the January incident, leading to directives for Boeing to rectify safety issues before resuming full production. It has caused disruptions for airlines and higher costs for passengers.

Calhoun, who became the CEO in 2020, will step down by the end of this year, but the company has not yet found his replacement. Several high-profile candidates have turned down the chance to run the company, the WSJ reported on Monday.