The Federal Aviation Administration says it will continue to hold Boeing accountable after reviewing the company’s “road map for addressing its systemic safety and quality control issues.” The 90-day review follows the in-flight door jam burst on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max in January. Boeing is completing final assembly of its jets at its factory in Renton, Washington.
Jovelle Tamayo for NPR
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Jovelle Tamayo for NPR
WASHINGTON — Boeing is promising sweeping changes to its manufacturing operations as the struggling aircraft maker tries to rebuild trust with federal regulators, airlines and the flying public.
It’s been just over 90 days since the Federal Aviation Administration ordered Boeing to develop a comprehensive plan to address its quality control issues after a door catch panel blew off a new 737 Max jet in mid-flight.
Boeing executives, including CEO Dave Calhoun, presented the final plan during a meeting with FAA officials in Washington Thursday morning.
“We reviewed Boeing’s roadmap to establishing a new safety standard and emphasized that they must implement corrective actions and effectively transform their safety culture,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker , in a press release. “We will ensure that they do so and that their corrections are made.” are effective. This does not mark the end of our increased scrutiny of Boeing and its suppliers, but it sets a new standard in how Boeing conducts business.
No one was seriously injured in the mid-air explosion of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in January. But the incident reignited serious concerns about safety and quality control at Boeing following the fatal crashes of two 737 Max planes in 2018 and 2019 that killed a total of 346 people.
A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined that four keyed bolts supposed to hold the door plug in place were missing when the plane left the Boeing factory.
The incident prompted the FAA to undertake a six-week audit of Boeing’s production lines. Regulators say they have discovered quality control problems at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, one of its main suppliers, which builds the 737 fuselage.
The Alaska Airlines explosion also triggered a management shakeup at Boeing. Several top executives in the commercial aviation division have left the company, and CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would step down at the end of the year.
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