FAA Chief Clears Way for Boeing 737 Max to Resume Flights
In a significant development, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief, Mike Whitaker, announced on Wednesday that his review of the recent terrifying incident aboard an Alaska Airlines Boeing plane has given him the confidence to clear the way for the Boeing 737 Max planes to fly again.
However, Whitaker also emphasized that the FAA would not accept any request from Boeing to expand production of Max planes until the agency is satisfied that quality control problems have been fixed. This announcement came in response to concerns raised about safety and quality control in the production of Boeing 737 Max planes.
Following the FAA’s announcement, United Airlines has stated that it expects to resume service on its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft starting Sunday, signaling a potential return to normalcy for these aircraft.
This latest development comes on the heels of a meeting between Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Boeing CEO David Calhoun, where they discussed recent incidents, including one in which a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane was damaged mid-flight when a door plug exploded. Senator Cantwell emphasized the need for quality engineering and safety to be the top priorities for Boeing.
Senator Cantwell also indicated that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which she chairs, will hold hearings to investigate the root causes of these security failures. These hearings are expected to shed light on the safety practices and quality control measures employed in the production of Boeing 737 Max planes.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also conducting investigations into the recent incidents involving Boeing 737 Max planes. NTSB officials are specifically looking into whether bolts that help secure the door plug were missing before the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, potentially leading to the mid-flight explosion.
As the investigation continues, an NTSB investigator will return to Boeing’s 737 assembly factory in Renton, Washington, to gather more information and build a timeline of the events leading to the failed door plug.
In parallel, the FAA is also investigating whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures during the manufacturing of the Boeing 737 Max planes.
With the FAA chief’s announcement, United Airlines’ plans to resume Boeing 737 Max 9 flights, and ongoing investigations into the recent incidents, the aviation industry is closely monitoring the developments as it navigates the path to ensuring safety and quality in air travel.