David Koenig, Associated Press

The Transportation Department said Tuesday that the airlines are promising to maintain some current service, including routes between Hawaii and the mainland where they don’t have much competition.

The National Transportation Safety Board released testimony by Boeing employees who said they were pressured to build planes too quickly and not raise safety concerns.

The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a two-day hearing in Washington into the blowout of a panel from the side of a Boeing 737 Max airliner.

The tone of the hearing was set hours earlier, when the panel released a 204-page report with new allegations from a whistleblower who said he worries that defective parts could be going into 737s.

The company says it is reducing “traveled work” — assembly tasks that are done out of their proper chronological order — and keeping closer tabs on key supplier Spirit AeroSystems.

The company has been pushed into crisis mode since a door-plug panel blew off a 737 Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker suggested that Boeing — under pressure from airlines to produce large numbers of planes — is not paying enough attention to safety.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s 19-page report is not intended to render judgment on who, if anyone, made mistakes that may have led to the incident on the Boeing 737-9 MAX.

Scott Kirby said Tuesday that Boeing needs “real action” to restore its previous reputation for quality.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that the investigation is focusing on plugs used to fill spots for extra exits when those doors are not required on Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners.

The cancellations will affect 110 to 150 flights each day, the company said.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Ford was spared additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week.

In a video posted late Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain gave General Motors, Ford and Stellantis until noon Friday, which will mark a week since the union began strikes at three factories — one at each company.

The FAA said that United crews were unable to contact airline dispatchers through normal means.

Backups were easing Thursday at U.S. airports, yet there are still hundreds of delays and cancellations for travelers on what is expected to be the peak day for holiday travel.