Senate Committee Calls For Enhanced FAA Oversight Following Boeing 737 MAX Incident

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell has requested Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to testify as part of legislation to improve FAA oversight on planemakers. This follows the FAA's inadequate supervision that led to a Boeing 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency. Cantwell plans to introduce a proposed FAA bill requiring safety management systems.

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell announced Thursday that she has called on Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to testify before her committee. This move is part of her efforts to draft legislation aimed at enhancing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight of aircraft manufacturers.

Calhoun previously testified before another Senate committee on June 19. Cantwell expects him to attend a future hearing before her committee, although it may be postponed until after the National Transportation Safety Board's investigative hearing on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency, scheduled for August 6-7.

'Our job here is why did the FAA drop the ball? What is it that we have to do to ensure that the FAA does its job?' Cantwell stated. The FAA and Boeing have yet to comment. Additionally, Cantwell will soon propose FAA legislation to mandate safety management systems (SMS). The aim is to understand why the FAA lacked a more robust oversight system.

Last month, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker admitted to the committee that the FAA was 'too hands off' overseeing Boeing before the mid-air emergency involving a 737 MAX 9, during which a door panel blew out. In response, the FAA announced in April that it was finalizing new regulations requiring charter, commuter, air tour operators, and aircraft manufacturers to implement SMS systems.

SMS systems consist of policies and procedures for proactively identifying and addressing potential operational hazards. Since 2018, U.S. airlines have been mandated to implement SMS, and some aerospace companies, including Boeing, have voluntarily adopted such programs.

(With inputs from agencies.)