2024-01-25 23:06:00
The FAA prohibits Boeing from expanding 737 production, but allows the 737 MAX 9 to resume flying with conditions.
Published: 26/01/2024 – 00:06
4 minutes
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on January 24 that the regulator would not allow Boeing to expand production of the 737 MAX after a door jam burst during an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight, but it could do so during inspection procedures. After completion, the 737 MAX 9 aircraft will be approved to resume flying.
On January 5, a door jam in the cabin of an Alaska Airlines passenger plane burst and fell off shortly after takeoff, causing the FAA to ground 171 737 MAX 9 jets and causing Alaska Airlines and the U.S. United Airlines canceled thousands of flights.
The FAA said it needed to halt the expansion of production of Boeing Co.’s best-selling 737 MAX family of narrow-body jets to ensure accountability for the planemaker and to ensure it fully complies with required quality control procedures.
“We will not agree to any request from Boeing to expand production until we are confident that the quality control issues discovered during this process have been resolved,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. Nor will the company be approved to increase the production line of the 737 MAX.”
It’s unclear how the FAA’s announcement to stop “expanding” MAX aircraft production will affect Boeing’s specific near-term plans to increase production.
The MAX family includes the best-selling 737 MAX 8, Boeing’s main cash cow.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said in October that the company planned to increase production to 38 MAX aircraft per month by the end of 2023.
Boeing’s latest 737 supplier master production schedule sets the production pace for the company’s supply chain, but Boeing’s own production pace may lag behind suppliers’ master production schedules.
The FAA on Wednesday also laid out inspection and maintenance procedures to return grounded MAX 9 aircraft to service.
Boeing shares fell about 4% in after-hours trading Wednesday.
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