Boeing has made “heavy mistakes” in recent years, acknowledges CEO

Ortberg is expected on Wednesday for a hearing in the US Senate. On the eve of this, he spread a message to the 160,000 Boeing employees, with the statement he will read in the Senate.

“Boeing has committed serious missteps in recent years – and that is unacceptable,” says the statement that Ortberg wants to read in the Senate. “In response, we have made major changes to the level of people, processes and the general structure of the group.”

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Boeing has had difficult years, with two fatal crashes of 737 Max 8 aircraft, in October 2018 and March 2019. 346 people were killed. The crashes were due to a failing safety system (MCAS).

Ortberg will express his condolences in the Senate with the loved ones of the victims – from whom some of whom are expected in the hall – and “promise that he will make all the necessary changes to ensure that such a thing never happens again”.

Later quality problems appeared in the Boeing production process. The most striking consequence was the release of a door panel of a 737 max 9 device from Alaska Airlines in January 2024.

Ortberg emphasizes that the conversion of the company takes time, but according to him “the light starts to come into view at the end of the tunnel”. To improve safety and quality, Boeing also counts on the employees themselves: they made more than 26,000 suggestions for improvements. It is the first time that Ortberg will speak in the American parliament since he became CEO of Boeing in August.