Boeing CEO meets with lawmakers on Capitol Hill amid aircraft safety concerns

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun on Wednesday said he is confident that the company’s planes are safe even as the aircraft manufacturer faces growing scrutiny. Calhoun met Wednesday with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and is expected to speak Thursday with Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to answer questions about the company’s 737 Max 9 aircraft. A door panel on an Alaska Airlines flight flew off mid-air earlier this month, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to ground the planes nationwide until they were inspected. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines said they found additional aircraft with loose bolts during the inspections.

Is Boeing facing other issues? The FAA on Sunday issued guidance for airlines to inspect some Boeing 737-900 aircraft for the same issue. The plane is an older generation and has the same door plug design as the Max 9. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby on Tuesday told CNBC that his airline is considering building a fleet plan that does not include the still-in-production Boeing 737 Max 10.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Kyle Ziemnick’s report on Boeing’s response to previous issues with its 737 Max jets.