BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Trouble on the tarmac had one Vermont senator turning his attention to aircraft.
In a Senate hearing this week Senator Peter Welch discussed the commercial plane manufacturer Boeing, saying that recent safety lapses in the company’s planes have eroded public trust.
He said that people are wondering if it is safe to fly in a Boeing plane and that the lack of public confidence in the company shows that Boeing needs to be held to a higher safety standard.
In the hearing, Welch outlined the two things he says contribute to the lapses in safety.
“There seem to be two issues about safety: one is the practices and the culture of the manufacturer, and the other is how much they put profit ahead of safety— because it is a trade-off. The more they’re going to focus on safety, that’s going to come at some expense. And I understand there are problems in both of those elements for Boeing,” said Sen. Welch.
Earlier this year, after a Max 9 door plug flew off during an Alaskan airline flight, Welch joined other senators in sending a letter to Boeing CEO to demand answers on the manufacturer’s quality control, oversight, and communication.