Answering post-hearing questions from Democrats and Republicans from the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sean Duffy, who was approved by the Committee unanimously, has said that he will keep the Boeing 737 MAX production cap until it can be assured that the plane maker can maintain the quality of its aircraft. Committing to keeping the cap In a post-hearing question and answer session, Duffy answered a question from Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, about whether he will commit to keeping the production cap of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to 38 per month, which was enacted by Mike Whitaker, the now-former Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “The cap will be maintained and will be lifted when I, in consultation with the career safety experts at FAA and the Administrator, have confidence that a production increase will not reduce the quality of the aircraft being produced.
” This was not the only Boeing or FAA-related question that Duffy received during and after the hearing. Cantwell also inquired whether the incoming Secretary of Transportation – who still has to clear the full Senate before he is confirmed – will keep the Department of Transportation (DOT) and FAA’s mandate that Boeing continue implementing its safety and quality action plan. In response, Duffy said that he plans to meet with the plane maker’s leadership to indicate that the DOT and FAA will hold them accountable to the action p.