DALLAS (AP) – The Texas attorney general has launched an investigation into a major Boeing supplier that is already under scrutiny from federal regulators over the quality of parts it supplies to the aircraft maker.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office opens an investigation into Spirit AeroSystems because “apparent manufacturing defects” in parts “have led to numerous alarming or dangerous incidents.” He said he did.
In a statement Friday, a Spirit spokesperson said, “While we do not comment on investigations, Spirit is committed to providing the highest quality products to all of our customers, including Boeing.” .
Paxton asked the Wichita, Kansas-based supplier to provide documentation from early 2022 on its communications with investors and Boeing about defective parts and corrective actions taken by the company.
The request details Spirit's efforts to create a diverse workforce and calls for an internal discussion about “whether those efforts are illegal or infringe on the company's manufacturing processes.” It is being Paxton broke down Spirit's workforce by race, sexual orientation and other factors and asked whether that composition had changed over time.
Since a Spirit door plug panel was blown off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max in January, some conservatives have sought to link aviation safety to manufacturer diversity.
Paxton, a conservative Republican, agreed this week to pay $271,000 in restitution to victims and undergo 15 hours of training in legal ethics to resolve a felony securities fraud case. Paxton has denied wrongdoing in the nine-year-old incident.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the Boeing Spirit following the Alaska Airlines incident. In an FAA audit of manufacturing procedures at Spirit's plants, the company received failing grades in 7 of 13 areas.
Boeing is in talks to buy back Spirit, which it spun off nearly 20 years ago, as part of a plan to tighten manufacturing oversight in its supply chain.
