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

ensure safety in paragraphs 4-12

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Trump wants restrictions on Boeing ( BA ) production lifted when

appropriate

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

(Updates to add name of Fox News show in paragraph 3)

By David Shepardson and Dan Catchpole

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE, March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. planemaker

Boeing ( BA ) lost its way and also lost the 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 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 Channel's The Faulkner Focus

after a visit on Thursday to the Boeing 737 factory in Renton,

Washington. "They've lost trust."

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.

Boeing ( BA ) said it was pleased to show Duffy and Rocheleau "the

progress we're making to further strengthen safety and quality.

Our team continues to work on improving our culture and

rebuilding trust."

Duffy said at a press conference Friday that Boeing's ( BA ) new

leadership is making improvements.

"They get it and they are making the changes in

manufacturing," he told reporters in Seattle. "I think they are

making progress but they still need tough love."

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.

Previously "everybody was punching Boeing ( BA ), they were angry

and rightly so. I think we're in a space today where America is

cheering them on," Duffy added.

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.