Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun publicly apologized to a hearing room packed with family members of the victims of 737 Max plane crashes Tuesday.
Calhoun testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Shortly after being sworn in and before beginning his prepared remarks, Calhoun stood up and turned to face the crowded room full of family members holding up photos of loved ones killed in Boeing crashes.
“I would like to apologize on behalf of all of our Boeing associates spread throughout the world, past and present, for your losses,” he said. “They are gut-wrenching, and I apologize for the grief that we have caused.”
“I want you to know that we are totally committed in their memory to work and focus on safety for as long as we’re employed by Boeing, so again, I’m sorry,” Calhoun said to the families.
The hearing was held to discuss the safety culture at the company. Boeing has faced massive scrutiny following several incidents, including one in which a door plug of a Boeing plane fell off midflight in January. Investigators of the case discovered that four key safety bolts were missing.
In 2018 and 2019, there were two deadly plane crashes involving Boeing 737 Max planes. A total of 189 were killed in the Lion Air crash of 2018, and 157 people were killed the following year when an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed.
Just hours before Tuesday’s hearing, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced a new whistleblower had come forward to accuse Boeing of cutting corners on quality control. The whistleblower alleged the company used parts that should be discarded or fixed on freshly built airplanes.
Blumenthal, who led the hearing, also addressed the families in the crowd. He solemnly read their names at the start of the gathering.
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“Thank you for having the strength and courage to be with us, and we are deeply sorry for your losses,” Blumenthal told the guests. “The issues before us today have real human consequences, life and death results.”
“This hearing is a moment of reckoning,” he added.