NEW YORK (AFP) – Boeing has committed to enhanced safety protocols that include more inspectors and new performance benchmarks under a plan demanded by regulators, United States (US) air safety authorities said on Thursday.
The aviation giant presented a comprehensive safety “roadmap” to officials after a near-catastrophic incident on a January Alaska Airlines flight that revived questions about Boeing, following fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019.
“Over time this is about systemic change, there is a lot of work to be done,” Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Mike Whitaker said at a news conference after a three-hour meeting in Washington attended by Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun.
“Boeing has laid out their roadmap, and now they need to execute,” Whitaker added.
The FAA has capped Boeing’s production of the MAX in light of the safety problems.
Whitaker said there is no timeframe for lifting that restriction, but does not expect any changes in the “next few months.”
The American aeronautics giant has faced intense scrutiny following manufacturing problems and pointed testimonials from whistleblowers that have kept the company in the headlines for unwanted reasons.
On January 5 a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines made an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight. The jet had only been delivered by Boeing to the carrier in October. Shortly after the incident, the FAA temporarily grounded 171 MAX jets with the same configuration, following the latest production problem after Boeing struggled for much of 2023 to maintain and boost output on the MAX and its other bestseller, the 787 Dreamliner.
In late February, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to produce “a comprehensive action plan to address its systemic quality-control issues to meet FAA’s non-negotiable safety standards”.
Under the plan, according to Whitaker, Boeing committed to increasing employee training and communication, strengthening an anonymous reporting system so workers can report problems without fear of reprisal, and increased oversight of suppliers.
The FAA for its part will continue to certify each MAX plane before delivery. That process has been enhanced since January 5 to include FAA inspections of planes rather than an audit system, Whitaker said.
