It’s good news if you’re a worried flier. But not so great if you’re an airline waiting for new planes to arrive.
U.S. authorities say they won’t let Boeing produce any more Max planes until they’re satisfied that the company has improved its production quality.
30MAY was the deadline the FAA gave Boeing to present solutions to issues related to the Alaska Airlines door panel blow out.
CNN reports that Boeing executives presented “sweeping changes” to its production process and safety systems in a three-hour meeting with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on 30MAY. The plan is meant to reassure the public, airline customers, and regulators that the troubled company’s planes are safe to fly.
“This is a guide for a new way for Boeing to do business,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said after the meeting. He said he expected the company to produce “systemic change.”
Boeing and FAA leaders said they will meet weekly to see how Boeing is implementing safety improvements, and that the FAA will conduct monthly reviews.
The most important news for airlines awaiting fresh aircraft shipments is that U.S. authorities will not let any Boeing Max planes off the assembly line until they feel the company’s safety net is strong enough.
“I don’t think it will happen in the next few months,” Whitaker said.
The FAA barred Boeing from boosting production of its best-selling plane in February after a door panel blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight on a new 737 MAX 9 on 05JAN 2024.
Whitaker said the FAA would monitor Boeing over the coming months to understand its quality and safety improvements "to give us a fundamental picture of whether they are in the right zone,” Whitaker said in a story posted by Reuters. “We want to make sure the system is running as safely as it should.”
“In the immediate aftermath of January 5, the FAA took unprecedented steps to increase oversight on Boeing. Over the last 90 days, that has meant everything from more safety inspectors in the facilities to halting production expansion,” Whitaker said in a statement posted on the FAA website.
“Today, we reviewed Boeing’s roadmap to set a new standard of safety and underscored that they must follow through on corrective actions and effectively transform their safety culture.
“On the FAA’s part, we will make sure they do and that their fixes are effective. This does not mark the end of our increased oversight of Boeing and its suppliers, but it sets a new standard of how Boeing does business,” he said.
