Boeing presents safety report to FAA as agency plans to increase oversight

May 30 (UPI) -- Boeing on Thursday presented its corrective action plan to the Federal Aviation Administration as it attempts to recover from the crisis surrounding its 737 Max airliners.

Outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun and other top leaders met with FAA Chief Michael Whitaker in Washington, D.C., after the agency in February gave Boeing a 90-day deadline to present a complete plan.

"This is a guide for a new way for Boeing to do business," Whitaker told reporters after the three-hour meeting on Thursday. "The FAA will make sure that Boeing makes lasting changes using all the tools at their disposal."

Whitaker noted the report does not mark the end of the FAA's increased oversight on the aircraft giant, and the agency also committed to adding more safety inspectors in facilities run by Boeing and its suppliers.

Changes Whitaker highlighted include increased employee training and communication, strengthening the anonymous reporting system that employees can use without fear of reprisal, and increasing supplier oversight.

The plan includes a series of initiatives for change management throughout the company, with key metrics that the FAA will monitor, Whitaker said.

Boeing is expected to publicize the full plan at a later date, Whitaker said.

The report follows a series of incidents that began in January when a door panel blew out on an Alaskan Airlines 737 Max jet.

Federal safety investigators found the bolts on the door had not been properly installed before the plane was delivered to Alaska Airlines.

Whitaker is scheduled to brief the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Boeing's plan on June 4.

The crisis at Boeing has forced the company to slow output of its 737 Max jets as it increases safety inspections. The change has created a ripple effect in the airline industry, forcing suppliers to lay off staff and causing airline customers such as United and Southwest to change their growth plans.

The company, meanwhile, is searching for a successor to Calhoun, who plans to step down as CEO later this year.

Boeing expects to burn through about $8 billion in the first half of 2024 as it deals with these changes.

The FAA in January also prohibited Boeing from increasing 737 Max production until it deemed the company's quality control changes were sufficient.

Whitaker on Thursday said that production cap would not be lifted until the agency sees a "strong and unwavering commitment to quality and safety that endures over time."

Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian told investors last week that company's 90-day plan "is not a finish line."

"We look forward to the feedback that we'll get after next week," he said.