BOEING CEO DEFENDS HIS SAFETY RECORD, SPARS WITH SENATORS AND APOLOGIZES TO CRASH VICTIMS' RELATIVES
AppleMagazine|AppleMagazine #660
Boeing CEO David Calhoun defended the company’s safety record during a contentious Senate hearing this week, while lawmakers accused him of placing profits over safety, failing to protect whistleblowers, and even getting paid too much.
BOEING CEO DEFENDS HIS SAFETY RECORD, SPARS WITH SENATORS AND APOLOGIZES TO CRASH VICTIMS' RELATIVES

Relatives of people who died in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners were in the room, some holding photos of their loved ones, to remind the CEO of the stakes. Calhoun began his remarks by standing, turning to face the families, and apologizing “for the grief that we have caused,” and vowing to focus on safety.

Calhoun’s appearance was the first before Congress by any high-ranking Boeing official since a panel blew out of a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. No one was seriously injured in the incident, but it raised fresh concerns about the company’s bestselling commercial aircraft.

The tone of the hearing before the Senate investigations subcommittee was set hours earlier, when the panel released a 204-page report with new allegations from a whistleblower who said he worries that defective parts could be going into 737s. The whistleblower is the latest in a string of current and former Boeing employees to raise concerns about the company’s manufacturing processes, which federal officials are investigating.

“This hearing is a moment of reckoning,” the subcommittee chairman, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. “It’s about a company, a once iconic company, that somehow lost its way.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., placed the blame squarely on Calhoun, saying that the man who became CEO in January 2020 had been too focused on the bottom line.

“You are cutting corners, you are eliminating safety procedures, you are sticking it to your employees, you are cutting back jobs because you are trying to squeeze very piece of profit you can out of this company,” Hawley said, his voice rising. “You are strip-mining Boeing.”

Hawley repeatedly mentioned Calhoun’s compensation for last year, valued at $32.8 million, and asked the CEO why he hasn’t resigned.

This story is from the AppleMagazine #660 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the AppleMagazine #660 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM APPLEMAGAZINEView All
AUSTRALIA WON'T FORCE SOCIAL MEDIA USERS TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL DETAILS WHEN CHILD BAN TAKES EFFECT
AppleMagazine

AUSTRALIA WON'T FORCE SOCIAL MEDIA USERS TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL DETAILS WHEN CHILD BAN TAKES EFFECT

Australia’s communications minister said this week the government won’t force social media users to hand over their personal information to tech companies, as children younger than 16 are set to be banned from the platforms.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024
FORD, FACING ECONOMIC HEADWINDS AND WEAK EV SALES, TO CUT 4,000 JOBS IN EUROPE
AppleMagazine

FORD, FACING ECONOMIC HEADWINDS AND WEAK EV SALES, TO CUT 4,000 JOBS IN EUROPE

Ford Motor Co. says it will reduce its workforce by 4,000 in Europe and the U.K. by the end of 2027, citing headwinds from the economy and pressure from increased competition and weaker than expected sales of electric cars.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024
SPIRIT AIRLINES FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR TRAVELERS?
AppleMagazine

SPIRIT AIRLINES FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR TRAVELERS?

Spirit Airlines, the largest budget carrier in the U.S., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. The airline said customers should not see any disruption to their travel plans while the process unfolds.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
MEET THE WORKOUT GROUP THAT GETS PEOPLE EXERCISING OUTDOORS, EVEN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER
AppleMagazine

MEET THE WORKOUT GROUP THAT GETS PEOPLE EXERCISING OUTDOORS, EVEN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER

The sun had yet to come up in Edmonton, Alberta, and it was more than 20 degrees below zero. Tanis Smith layered up anyway, ready to run up and down hundreds of stairs among the trees in the Saskatchewan River Valley.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
ABOUT 20% OF AMERICANS REGULARLY GET THEIR NEWS FROM INFLUENCERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, REPORT SAYS
AppleMagazine

ABOUT 20% OF AMERICANS REGULARLY GET THEIR NEWS FROM INFLUENCERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, REPORT SAYS

About one in five Americans - and a virtually identical share of Republicans and Democrats regularly get their news from digital influencers who are more likely to be found on the social media platform X, according to a report released this week by the Pew Research Center.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
COMCAST TO SPIN OFF CABLE NETWORKS, ONCE STAR PERFORMERS FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT GIANT
AppleMagazine

COMCAST TO SPIN OFF CABLE NETWORKS, ONCE STAR PERFORMERS FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT GIANT

Comcast will spin off many of its cable television networks that were once at the heart of the entertainment giant, with people increasingly swapping out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024
NEW PENTAGON REPORT ON UFOS INCLUDES HUNDREDS OF NEW INCIDENTS BUT NO EVIDENCE OF ALIENS
AppleMagazine

NEW PENTAGON REPORT ON UFOS INCLUDES HUNDREDS OF NEW INCIDENTS BUT NO EVIDENCE OF ALIENS

The Pentagon’s latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024
AMAZON AND ELON MUSK'S SPACEX CHALLENGE LABOR AGENCY'S CONSTITUTIONALITY IN FEDERAL COURT
AppleMagazine

AMAZON AND ELON MUSK'S SPACEX CHALLENGE LABOR AGENCY'S CONSTITUTIONALITY IN FEDERAL COURT

Attorneys for Amazon and Elon Musk’s SpaceX argued in a federal appeals court Monday that the National Labor Relations Board’s structure is unconstitutional, advancing a legal fight that may last into the Trump administration where Musk is expected to oversee bureaucratic cost-cutting.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024
FORGET DRIVERLESS CARS.ONE COMPANY WANTS AUTONOMOUS HELICOPTERS TO SPRAY CROPS AND FIGHT FIRES
AppleMagazine

FORGET DRIVERLESS CARS.ONE COMPANY WANTS AUTONOMOUS HELICOPTERS TO SPRAY CROPS AND FIGHT FIRES

When Hector Xu was learning to fly a helicopter in college, he recalled having a few “nasty experiences” while trying to navigate at night.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 22, 2024
DELTA CEO SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL REVERSE GOVERNMENT OVERREACH' SEEN UNDER BIDEN
AppleMagazine

DELTA CEO SAYS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL REVERSE GOVERNMENT OVERREACH' SEEN UNDER BIDEN

The chief executive of Delta Air Lines says the incoming Trump administration will be a “breath of fresh air” for airlines after what he called government “overreach” under President Joe Biden.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024