Trump’s FAA pick vows to hold Boeing accountable on quality

President Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration vowed to hold Boeing Co. accountable for the quality of its jets as the U.S. plane maker works to produce its cash-cow 737 Max aircraft at higher rates.

If confirmed, airline executive Bryan Bedford will be tasked with making decisions on how to proceed with Boeing, which the FAA is still closely monitoring following a midair mishap last year that exposed quality lapses at the company’s factories.

Bedford told U.S. senators during a hearing in Washington on Wednesday that he wants to hold “Boeing accountable to deliver a high-quality product.”

He said he aims to ensure the plane maker is listening to its workforce and backed the use of data, such as defect rates, to determine if the quality and supply chain issues at Boeing have been addressed.

The plane maker in recent weeks has begun producing 737 Max jets near the 38-per-month cap imposed by the FAA after last year’s incident, which involved a door-size panel detaching from a Max plane shortly after takeoff.

Boeing has indicated that it intends to eventually seek approval to speed up production, though acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told reporters after a congressional hearing last week that he wasn’t considering raising the rate.

The plane maker regularly shares key data with the FAA on the health of its factory operations and supply chain, one of the changes it made after the regulator began cracking down after the near-catastrophe, which occurred in January 2024.

Trump tapped Bedford — an aviation veteran who’s been the chief executive of Republic Airways Holdings Inc. for more than 25 years — for the FAA post in March. Republic is one of the largest regional airlines, ferrying travelers from smaller cities to major hub airports for American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc.

Bedford would join the FAA at a critical juncture as it prepares to carry out a massive overhaul of its aging air traffic control system.

Versprille writes for Bloomberg.