WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The outgoing U.S.

transportation secretary said on Monday that Boeing ( BA ) has

more to do and its efforts to improve its culture are unfinished

after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off a new 737 MAX

9 in mid-air in January 2024.

"There were real deficiencies ... there is much more to do,"

Pete Buttigieg told Reuters in an interview. "I think the

culture change at Boeing ( BA ) is something that is a real work in

progress and the only way to fully assess it will be to see they

can consistently improve results."

Boeing ( BA ) declined to comment.

Last week, the outgoing head of the Federal Aviation

Administration said tougher oversight of Boeing ( BA ) would continue

indefinitely after the incident in which a door panel missing

four key bolts flew off the new 737 MAX Alaska Airlines

plane at 16,000 feet.

The Jan. 5, 2024 incident prompted FAA Administrator

Mike Whitaker to cap production at 38 737 MAX planes per month

and temporarily ground 170 airplanes. The incident exposed

serious safety issues at the U.S. planemaker and contributed to

the departure of its then-CEO Dave Calhoun.

Whitaker last February ordered Boeing ( BA ) to implement a safety

and quality improvement plan and previously acknowledged prior

oversight "was too hands off." Whitaker has said it could take

five years for Boeing ( BA ) to fully fix its culture.

Boeing ( BA ) on Friday released an update on its safety and

quality efforts, saying it has instituted new random quality

audits and significantly reduced defects in 737 fuselage

assembly at supplier Spirit AeroSystems ( SPR ) by increasing

inspection points and implementing a customer quality approval

process.

The FAA announced a new audit of Boeing ( BA ) in October.

Buttigieg, who repeatedly sparred with air carriers,

said separately that he hopes the incoming administration of

President-elect Donald Trump maintains his department's efforts

to ensure consumer protections for airline passengers in the

event of flight delays.

"I certainly didn't see them campaigning on a platform of

being less pro-passenger than we are," Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, has

said he has not made any plans for future jobs, but is viewed by

some Democrats as a potential candidate for Michigan governor in

2026.