U.S. government bans Boeing from increasing 737 MAX production
Civil Aviation Resources Network January 26, 2024: According to Xinhua News Agency, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on the evening of the 24th that it would not agree to the U.S. Boeing Company's increase in production of the 737MAX series of passenger aircraft after discovering "unacceptable" quality problems. .
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement that "we will not agree to Boeing's request to increase production of the 737 MAX, nor will we approve the addition of production lines, until the recently exposed quality control issues are satisfactorily resolved." "We found unacceptable issues with quality assurance."
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According to Reuters, the ban on increasing production means that Boeing can only produce at the current rate and cannot increase the speed. The FAA did not mention the possible duration of this ban on production increases.
Boeing produces about 30 737MAX aircraft per month, and announced in October last year that it intended to increase the number to 38 by the end of the year.
Reuters speculates that the FAA's decision may affect Boeing's plan to build a new 737 MAX production line in Everett, Washington, by the middle of this year. This will be Boeing's fourth 737 MAX production line and the first not located in Renton, Washington.
The FAA's decision may also have a wide impact on the U.S. aviation industry. Boeing was seeking to increase production of the 737 MAX to meet user demand and narrow the gap with rival European Airbus.
The FAA also announced on the 24th that it has approved relevant air operators to conduct "thorough inspections and maintenance" of 171 737 MAX 9 passenger aircraft that have been temporarily grounded, after which these aircraft "will be eligible to resume service."
According to the Associated Press, the specific procedures include conducting "detailed visual inspections" of components such as door plugs (embedded emergency doors) of the passenger plane that caused the accident earlier this month, adjusting fixings and repairing damage. According to the German Press Agency, it takes approximately several hours for a passenger aircraft to complete the above maintenance procedures.
United Airlines, the largest user of MAX9 passenger aircraft, later stated that the airline had completed "preliminary preparations and inspections" and expected that its passenger aircraft would resume flying on the 28th. Another American airline, Alaska Airlines, which was severely affected by the grounding incident, is preparing to resume flights on the 26th.
An Alaska Airlines MAX 9 passenger plane had an accident in mid-air on the 5th of this month. A door jam on the side of the cabin fell off, and the plane made an emergency landing. The FAA ordered on the 6th to temporarily ground MAX 9 passenger aircraft operated by US airlines or within the United States to conduct safety inspections of the aircraft. Since then, many regulatory agencies and airlines around the world have also announced the grounding of this model of aircraft.
Boeing issued a statement on the 24th saying that it will continue to cooperate "comprehensively and transparently" with the FAA, comply with the agency's instructions, and strengthen product safety and quality.
However, the quality control issues of Boeing passenger aircraft still cause concern. The Seattle Times reported on the 24th, citing people familiar with the matter, that the door jam on the passenger plane was repaired at the Renton factory, but the reinstallation procedures were not videotaped as required, and pre-delivery inspections were not carried out as required.
In addition to the FAA's investigation into Boeing's quality control issues, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident itself. Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington state said on the 24th that the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which she chairs, will hold an investigative hearing on the root causes of Boeing's safety lapses. The time of the hearing is not yet known.