Under Cantwell Questioning, Boeing CEO Commits to Mandatory SMS by October

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, questioned Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg on how the company is improving its safety protocols and culture and correcting defects. Sen. Cantwell has consistently pushed Boeing to implement a Safety Management System that meets FAA standards and today secured a commitment from Ortberg to have that system in place in six months.

Cantwell Opening Statement at Hearing on Jan. 29 Tragic Crash Near DCA

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, delivered the following opening statement during today’s Aviation Subcommittee hearing on NTSB’s preliminary report on the tragic Jan. 29 midair collision between a military Blackhawk helicopter and an American Airlines commercial jet:

Sen. Cantwell Statement on Trump FAA Nomination Announcement

Seattle — U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation issued the followin statement on President Trump’s announcement he would nominate Bryan Bedford for FAA Administrator:  “We need an FAA Administrator who is committed to making the United States the gold standard in aviation safety. This includes […]

Cantwell Calls for Permanent Helicopter Restrictions Near DCA

Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, released the following statement regarding the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report on the Jan. 29 mid-air collision involving an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk military helicopter near DCA that resulted in the deaths of 67 people:

Cantwell Asks DOD to Explain Why Capital-Area Flights Aren’t Using Key Safety Feature

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting that the Department of Defense (DoD) clarify how often and why it operates aircraft in the National Capital Region without Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out activated.

Cantwell Statement on Firings of FAA Employees

Today, Sen. Maria Cantwell, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement about reports that FAA safety employees who have served less than one year at the agency, including to technicians working under FAA’s Air Traffic Organization, have been fired as part of the DOGE-led federal workforce cuts

Watch: Cantwell Discusses Wednesday’s Devastating Jet-Helicopter Crash on CNN

This morning, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, joined CNN to discuss the devastating crash on Wednesday involving American Airlines flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).