Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg on Wednesday directly addressed the loved ones of passengers who died in two fatal crashes of the plane-maker’s 737 Max, offering an apology and commitment to ensuring the safety of their aircraft.
“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry,” Muilenburg said at the start of testimony before the House Transportation Committee, turning to face the family members in attendance. “We will never forget, and I want you to know that. We are committed to making the improvements that we need to make.”
Muilenburg met with the family members Tuesday night and said he heard stories and looked at the photos of the victims of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes that occurred last October and in March. All 346 passengers aboard the two flights died.
“It does get to a business that’s about people,” he said. “That’s where our hearts will always be.”
Muilenburg described the experience as “heartbreaking” and told lawmakers in addition to learning of the personal stories of the victims, he and the loved ones discussed airline safety and the changes Boeing is making in the wake of the two crashes.
“These stories, they’re always going to be with us and I wish we could change that,” he said. “We have to remember these people.”
Muilenburg is appearing before lawmakers to discuss issues with the embattled 737 Max, which has been grounded since mid-March following the Ethiopia Airlines crash. The link between the two incidents was an issue with the jet’s anti-stall system, called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, which fed the plane’s computer system inaccurate data on its angle of attack, leading to a struggle between the system and the pilot.
Boeing completed a software fix for the system in May, but the 737 Max has not yet been recertified by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Muilenburg is expected to face questions about how the jet was certified in light of the issues with MCAS and what Boeing is doing to prevent future crashes. His testimony is the second before lawmakers following an appearance before the Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday.
