Boeing staff report pressure to lower standards

His concerns about lax oversight were shared by some Republicans on the panel, who noted that whistleblowers from within Boeing were still reaching out to lawmakers with concerns about retaliation and efforts by the company to choose its inspectors.

“We need tough oversight,” Senator Josh Hawley said. “I want to make sure your agency is holding their feet to the fire.”

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said he felt the right rules were now in place to improve the company, pointing to an FAA order that limits Boeing to producing 38 aircraft a month and the agency’s demand that Boeing use better technology to track tools and materials.

“It’s a much more intensive level of engagement and we plan to maintain that indefinitely,” he said. “The goal here is a culture change at Boeing and that is a very long-term project.”

But Mr Blumenthal said that the production cap was part of a series of “half measures”, noting that Boeing was currently making far fewer aircraft than it could.

He criticised the 11 inspectors the FAA has sent to Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington as “inadequate” and raised concerns that FAA was giving Boeing too much heads-up about regulator audits.

Mr Blumenthal said he thought there would be more effective ways to pressure the company to change, such as capping executive pay.

The hearing occurred as more than 30,000 factory workers in the Pacific northwest remain on strike over pay and other benefits.