Boeing given 90 days to produce improved safety and quality control plan

The final version of the 737 MAX, the MAX 10, takes off from Renton Airport in Renton, Wash., on its first flight Friday, June 18, 2021.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it’s giving aircraft company Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building planes after a panel blew off a brand-new Boeing 737 Max jet last month.

The agency said the directive followed all-day meetings on Tuesday with top Boeing officials at FAA headquarters in Washington.

“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way.”

The FAA did not indicate what action it might take if Boeing fails to meet the 90-day deadline.

This week, a panel of industry, government and academic experts issued a report that found shortcomings in the company’s safety culture, which the company says it has been working to improve.

Boeing CEO David Calhoun insisted that “we have a clear picture of what needs to be done” thanks to both internal and independent reviews of the company’s procedures and structures.

“Boeing will develop the comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria that demonstrates the profound change that Administrator Whitaker and the FAA demand.”

The FAA is currently completing an audit of assembly lines at its factory near Seattle, where it builds planes including the 737 Max – one of which suffered a door-panel blowout during an Alaska Airlines flight on 5 January.

Investigators say bolts that help keep the panel in place were missing after repair work at the Boeing factory.

The incident has raised scrutiny of Boeing to its highest level since two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed a total of 346 people.

Earlier this month, Boeing replaced the executive who had overseen the 737 program since early 2021 and said it was increasing inspections at the 737 plant in Renton, Washington.