Boeing, Choosing profits over safety
Boeing CEO David Calhoun recently appeared before the
Seate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to address ongoing safety
concerns and the company’s response to numerous high-profile incidents. The
hearing followed the release of a damning report highlighting Boeings failure
to track substandard aircraft parts, the elimination of quality inspectors, and
the delegation of safety checks to manufacturing workers.
Boeing has been under intense scrutiny since the tragic
crashes of two 737 MAX jets in Indonesia (2018) and Ethiopia (2019), which
claimed 346 lives. Calhoun began his testimony with an apology to the victims’
families, pledging a renewed commitment to safety. However, this apology has
been criticized as insincere, especially given Boeings ongoing lapses in safety
and retaliation against whistleblowers.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, chair of the subcommittee,
underscored continued issues within Boeing, including nonconforming parts and
concealed safety violations. He noted that the company appears to have violated
a deferred prosecution agreement from 2021, suggesting that further prosecution
is warranted.
In a poignant moment, Nadia Milleron, an aviation safety
advocate whose daughter died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, confronted
Calhoun about his apology and the company’s broader ethical failures. Milleron
highlighted that whistleblowers like John Barnett, who faced severe harassment
for advocating safety, are often ignored or mistreated.
Milleron and other victims’ families are calling for
aggressive prosecution of Boeing and its leaders, along with substantial fines
to enforce compliance with safety standards. They propose an independent
monitor to oversee Boeings adherence to its safety metrics, arguing that
financial penalties are necessary to drive real change.
The Senate hearing and whistleblower revelations paint a
troubling picture of a company prioritizing cost-cutting over safety. It is
clear that without significant reform and accountability, Boeings culture of
negligence will persist, endangering lives.
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