Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg is in the hot seat this week, testifying today before the US Senate Transportation committee about the company’s progress in fixing longstanding quality and safety woes.
But unlike his predecessors – former CEOs David Calhoun and Dennis Muilenburg – Ortberg is a fresh face and an executive who had nothing to do with the missteps that landed Boeing in hot water in the first place. As such, his message of contrition and commitment to improvement may be better-received by US lawmakers.
Ortberg’s appearance comes just weeks after the US government handed Boeing a multi-billion dollar contract to develop the US Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter, the F-47 – a deal that significantly fortifies the struggling company.
Also in recent days, Airbus said it will soon begin working on a new scaled wing demonstrator for use in evaluating integration with an open-rotor engine, such as that being developed by CFM International under the RISE programme. Airbus is also gearing up for testing an A350-1000 equipped with automated taxiing and enhanced pilot assistance features, and is preparing to study the formation of contrails, which are believed to have a warming effect on the atmosphere.
Additionally, in recent days Airbus landed a firm order from Taiwan’s China Airlines for 10 A350-100s. Aircraft lessor BOC Aviation also handed a win to both Airbus and Boeing, ordering 50 737 Max 8s and 70 A320neos.
Meanwhile, Russia’s United Aircraft is making progress with its twin-turboprop Ilyushin Il-114-300 programme, having recently flown another prototype, bringing its flight-test fleet of the modernised Il-114 to three aircraft.
On the safety front, Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee has attributed the 2019 crash of a Superjet 100 in Moscow to the pilots having “insufficient knowledge and skills” to control the jet in direct law. But Aeroflot and Russia’s civilian aviation regulator challenged the conclusions, citing issues related to technical documentation about flying the jet in direct law.
Also this week, two influential lawmakers chastised the US Department of Defense for allegedly obstructing a congressional inquiry into the 29 January midair collision involving a US Army Black Hawk and a PSA Airlines MHIRJ CRJ700 regional jet.
Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell faulted the DOD for failing to hand over a 2024 Army memo related to army policies for flying helicopters with ADS-B – an aircraft positioning system that the Black Hawk was apparently not using when it slammed into the CRJ.
