May 24 (Reuters) - Boeing ( BA ) saw a six-fold increase

in submissions from its employees raising concerns related to

the safety of products and services during the first two months

of 2024, compared with the same period last year, the planemaker

said on Friday.

The dramatic rise in these reports occurred after an

incident on Jan. 5 involving a mid-air cabin panel blowout on a

newly minted Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 jet, Boeing ( BA ) said

in its annual safety report.

In February, an expert panel reviewing Boeing's ( BA ) safety

management processes had found a "disconnect" between the

planemaker's senior management and employees involved in its

safety culture.

"Our actions are focused on making further improvements to

ensure safety, compliance and conformance of our products and

services, without compromise," said Mike Delaney, Boeing's ( BA ) chief

aerospace safety officer.

The Jan. 5 incident has put Boeing ( BA ) under heightened scrutiny

and has prompted U.S. regulators to curb production levels of

the company's bestselling 737 MAX jets until it starts to

address safety issues.