FILE - This image taken Jan. 7, 2024, and released by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows a section of the Boeing 737-9 Max that lost a panel in flight, in Portland, Ore. Boeing says the head of its 737 jetliner program is leaving the company immediately, paving the way for the aircraft maker to appoint new leadership at the troubled division. (NTSB via AP)
The Federal Aviation Administration is giving Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building new planes.
The agency said the directive follows meetings with top Boeing officials including the company’s CEO 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 new deadline is being set as the FAA finishes an audit of assembly lines at the factory near Seattle, where Boeing builds planes like the 737 Max that suffered a door-panel blowout in January. Investigators say bolts that help keep the panel in place were missing after repair work on the Alaska Airlines jet at the Boeing factory.
This week, a panel of industry, government and academic experts found shortcomings in the safety culture at Boeing, which the company says it has been working to improve. Earlier in February, Boeing replaced the executive overseeing the 737 program.
