Despite safety fault, Boeing had requested for supplying new 747 Max model; withdraws after backlash for door blowout
Despite safety fault, Boeing had requested for supplying new 747 Max model; withdraws after backlash for door blowout
Introduced in 2017, Boeing’s 747 Max model of planes have had a turbulent flight with a slew of safety concerns emerging in a short span of time even as two accidents, in 2018 and 2019, claimed the lives of some 346 people. After the most recent incident when a door plug blew out on a 737 Max over Oregon this month, Boeing said Monday that it was withdrawing a request for a safety exemption needed to certify a new model of the plane.
The company had late last year asked federal regulators to allow it to begin delivering its 737 Max 7 airliner to customers despite not meeting a crucial safety standard concerning an anti-icing system.
The issue affects other models of the 737 Max that are already flying. Last week, Democratic Sens. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Tammy Duckworth, chair of its aviation safety subcommittee, urged the Federal Aviation Administration to deny the request. Boeing said Monday it would withdraw it.
“While Boeing never should have sought this exemption to put another new aircraft with a known safety defect into service in the first place, I’m both relieved and appreciative that they are putting the flying public’s safety first by withdrawing this petition,” Duckworth, of Illinois, said in an emailed statement. “I hope this decision marks the beginning of a turnaround in Boeing’s safety culture.”
What is Boeing 747 Max’s recent issue?
The problem is with the de-icing system of planes. Regulators urged pilots to limit the de-icing system’s use in dry conditions because inlets around the engines could get too hot and parts of the housing could break away and strike the plane, possibly breaking windows and causing rapid decompression.
The issue affects only the Max because it has engine inlets made from carbon composite materials rather than metal. The company had hoped to be able to deliver its new, smaller Max 7 to customers and have pilots operate the model under the guidance given to Max 8 and Max 9 pilots. It asked for an exemption until May 2026 while it worked on a long-term fix.
The FAA grounded all Max 9s in the U.S. the day after the blowout. Last week the agency approved the inspection and maintenance process to return the planes to flying, and Alaska and United Airlines — the only two U.S. airlines that fly Max 9s — began returning some to service in the last few days.
Southwest Airlines, the main customer for the Max 7, reported last week that it had removed the model from its fleet plans for 2024 while Boeing works with the FAA to certify it.
The FAA said last year that it had not received any reports of the overheating problem happening on Max flights, but that it issued the warning to pilots because of the severity of the risk, which was discovered on a test flight.
What Boeing has to say
In its statement, Boeing said that while it believed the exemption request followed “established FAA processes to ensure safe operation,” the company will “instead incorporate an engineering solution that will be completed during the certification process.”
In its announcement, the company said it was “committed to being transparent, listening to all our stakeholders and taking action to strengthen safety and quality at Boeing.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Stan Deal said in a message to Boeing employees Friday that the company’s most immediate goal is to help airlines restore operations.
“Frankly, we have disappointed and let them down,” he wrote. “We are deeply sorry for the significant disruption and frustration for our customers, some of whom have been publicly and unfairly criticized.”