Duckworth Urges FAA Administrator Whitaker to Ensure Transparency and Accountability Are Built into FAA’s Oversight of Boeing’s Safety and Quality

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation urged the FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to make sure the FAA requires transparency and accountability as it oversees Boeing's Safety and Quality Plan.

Buy 2 Marquette Catholic Mega Raffle Tickets, Get 1 FREE

Shop Local

Marquette Catholic High School

Get This Deal →

“Boeing’s safety and quality assurances will be meaningless without appropriate transparency and accountability, and that is what I will be looking for as I receive more details on Boeing’s plan,” said Duckworth. “Bottom line: all passengers deserve to have the confidence that the commercial aircraft they rely on are safe and reliable, and I look forward to continuing to work with our committee to conduct oversight of Boeing for the sake of the flying public.”

Earlier this year, Duckworth called on FAA to reject a petition by Boeing for a safety exemption to allow the 737 MAX 7 to be certified to fly despite having another known safety defect that has not yet been fixed. The Senator subsequently met with Boeing’s CEO David Calhoun and urged him to withdraw the company’s petition, which the company did just days later, crediting Duckworth’s reasoning for the decision.

Duckworth helped author the landmark FAA reauthorization that was signed into law last month to extend FAA’s funding and authorities through Fiscal Year 2028. The reauthorization included several of her provisions to improve consumer safety, expand the aviation workforce and enhance protections for travelers with disabilities. Duckworth noted that while it was a tremendous victory for the flying public, more needs to be done to address the recent issues that have come to light with Boeing since a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight mid-flight.

More like this:

Duckworth Urges FAA And DOD To Act On Safety Findings After DCA Crash Report

Oct 10, 2026

Lawmakers Urge FAA to Require Epinephrine on Every Commercial Flight

Oct 6, 2026

Duckworth-Hoeven Bipartisan Bills to Support the Health of Our Aviation Workforce and Strengthen Aviation Safety Pass the Senate

Sep 28, 2026

Duckworth Urges FAA, Pentagon To Reject Trump’s Plan For Military Complex At Triumphal Arch

Sep 28, 2026

Duckworth, Schumer Call On Airlines To Guarantee That Emergency Medical Kits Aboard Their Commercial Planes Include Life-Saving Epinephrine

Sep 21, 2026