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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called on Boeing to cooperate in the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines flight that had its door panel detach mid-flight from a Boeing 737 Max 9.

This development follows reports that Boeing has yet to provide certain records sought by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for its inquiry, specifically those related to the Boeing factory that produced the door panel.

In a statement, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “Obviously we respect the independence of DOJ (the Department of Justice) and NTSB (the National Transportation Safety Board) doing their own work…but we are not neutral on the question of whether Boeing should fully cooperate with any entity — NTSB, us, or DOJ. They should, and we expect them to.”

Secretary Buttigieg also criticized Boeing’s response to the incident, urging a complete overhaul of the company’s culture, quality control, and responsiveness. In turn, Boeing has pledged to cooperate with all ongoing government investigations and audits fully. A spokesman also said Boeing was committed to enhancing safety and quality for all operations.

This all comes as Boeing has announced preliminary discussions to reacquire Spirit AeroSystems, the entity responsible for manufacturing the defective fuselage and door plug involved in the Alaska Airlines flight incident. According to Boeing, the move will allow them to integrate key suppliers, aiming to strengthen the overall quality of Boeing’s commercial airplanes.

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