By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Thursday he has asked the CEO of Boeing to come to Washington, D.C., “as soon as possible” to discuss quality and safety issues at the company.

“Following that, I will visit Boeing myself to evaluate firsthand the measures being implemented to ensure its planes meet the highest safety standards,” Duffy said in a post on X.Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. planemaker has been under scrutiny after a series of crises involving safety, including when a door panel flew off a new Alaska Airlines (ALK.N), 737 MAX 9 in mid-air last year.

The incident resulted in the Federal Aviation Administration maintaining tougher oversight of the company indefinitely.

During his confirmation hearing, Duffy said the federal government needed to make sure the company was implementing its safety plan.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Caitlin Webber)