*

Transportation Secretary vows to put 'screws' to Boeing ( BA ) to

ensure safety in paragraphs 4-12

*

Trump wants restrictions on Boeing ( BA ) production lifted when

appropriate

*

Boeing ( BA ) showed USDOT Renton, Washington 737 MAX production

(Adds Boeing declining comment, more comments from USDOT)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. planemaker Boeing ( BA )

lost its way and trust of the American people after a

January 2024 mid-air emergency involving a new Boeing 737 MAX

and two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, Transportation Secretary

Sean Duffy said in a Fox News broadcast on Friday.

Duffy also said the Federal Aviation Administration is not

yet ready to lift a 38-plane per month production cap on the 737

MAX.

"When you breach the trust of the American people with that

safety and with your manufacturing, we're going to put the

screws to you to make sure you change your ways and start doing

things right," Duffy told Fox News after a visit on Thursday to

the Boeing 737 factory in Renton, Washington.

Boeing ( BA ) did not immediately comment.

Duffy traveled to Washington and met with Boeing ( BA ) CEO

Kelly Ortberg, along with acting FAA Administrator Chris

Rocheleau, following last year's mid-air panel blowout on a new

Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 airplane that was missing

four key bolts

. Ortberg will

testify April 2 before Congress

.

"They've lost trust," Duffy said. "They have to take a

look at how they're manufacturing. They have to look at their

quality. They have to get it up to a place where the FAA and the

American people and the airlines feel like they're producing

incredibly safe airplanes."

Duffy noted that Boeing ( BA ) has

new leadership

.

"They are making efforts and strides to bring quality

back to their aircraft," he said.

Duffy

announced the factory visit

on the sixth anniversary of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines

flight 302 that killed all 157 people on board and led to

changes in the 737 MAX's design and pilot training.

In January 2024, former President Joe Biden's FAA

Administrator Mike Whitaker imposed a 38-plane monthly

production cap after the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX

incident.

Duffy noted Boeing ( BA ) is not currently close to producing

38 MAX planes per month. Once they make quality improvements "we

have to take a risk on them," Duffy said and lift the cap, but

"we're not there yet."

Duffy said President Donald Trump does not want USDOT to

take risks with safety but "wants us to not be too restrictive.

He wants us to be smart and loosen up the restrictions on

production with Boeing ( BA ) when it's appropriate."

Boeing ( BA ) in July

agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud

conspiracy charge and pay at least $243.6 million after

breaching a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. The Justice

Department said Boeing ( BA ) allowed potentially risky work at its

factories and did not ensure key airplane record-keeping was

accurate.