Boeing reveals plan to fix safety issues
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Top Boeing officials revealed improvements they plan to make to plane quality and staff training during a three-hour meeting with U.S. aviation regulators Thursday.
After a door panel flew off a 737 MAX 9 in January, the Federal Aviation Administration gave Boeing 90 days to address safety issues with overall production.
“Boeing has laid out their roadmap, and now they need to execute,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker following the meeting. “Bottom line: we will continue to make sure every airplane that comes off the line is safe and reliable.”
To do that, Boeing plans to increase its own oversight of its manufacturing and staff training and improve its anonymous reporting system for employees. The FAA will continue to staff additional inspectors inside Boeing facilities.
“The flying public should feel that we’re increasing our oversight to an appropriate level with Boeing,” Whitaker said.
While Boeing addresses these issues, it has temporarily decreased production of the 737 Max.
“We will not approve production increases beyond the current cap until we’re satisfied,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker would not give a timeframe on when production levels would resume but said it would not happen in the next few months.
Boeing’s CEO plans to leave the company by the end of the year as part of a broader management shake-up following the January incident.
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