WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Wednesday it finalized a policy to protect aviation employees who perform government certification duties from interference by airplane manufacturers including Boeing and others.
Congress in December 2020 approved legislation boosting FAA oversight of aircraft manufacturers, requiring disclosure of critical safety information and providing new whistleblower protections in the wake of two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people and led to the plane’s 20-month U.S. grounding.
The FAA said the final policy, first released as a draft in February, requires companies including Boeing “to monitor, report and investigate all allegations of interference and to report the results to the FAA. It also establishes a clear path for these industry employees to speak freely with FAA certification officials at any time.”
The FAA said it is also seeking nominations for a 24-member expert panel required by Congress that will review the safety culture of companies including Boeing.
(Reporting by David Shepardson)
