The US Federal Aviation Administration will increase its oversight of Boeing’s production line as it reassesses safety risks a week after Alaska Airlines suffered a blowout shortly after take-off.
The accident involving a door plug – a panel fitted in place of an unused emergency exit – led to the grounding of 171 Boeing jets with the same configuration as the airline’s Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.
“It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks,” FAA administrator Mike Whitaker said on Friday.
“The grounding of the 737-9 and the multiple production-related issues identified in recent years require us to look at every option to reduce risk.”
The FAA is exploring the use of an independent third party to oversee Boeing’s inspections and its quality checks, he said.
“The FAA’s statement reflects just how serious the issue is,” Addison Schonland, partner at US-based AirInsight, told media.
“The FAA has a history with the Max that brought their oversight under question. This means they are wary of any Max safety issue.”
The US regulator will now be “very careful” with anything related to the Max, said Mr Schonland.
“The certification of the Max 7 and Max 10 will be even slower. Boeing will likely need FAA approval on any delivery, not just [the] Max,” he said.
Boeing’s chief executive Dave Calhoun said on Tuesday that the plane maker should accept the fault and make amends after the blowout triggered concerns about its quality standards.
He made the remarks during a company-wide meeting called to reinforce safety as the top priority for the company.
On Thursday, the FAA announced an investigation to determine if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition deemed safe for operation in compliance with the regulator’s regulations.
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