FAA allows Boeing to increase 737 Max production nearly two years after door plug flew off plane
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would issue permits on Friday Boeing’s After a while, it plans to increase the monthly limit and produce more 737 Max aircraft. door plug exploded An Alaska Airlines jet the company produces.
The FAA said Boeing can now produce 42 Max jets per month, up from 38, after safety inspectors conducted extensive inspections of the aerospace company’s production lines to ensure the increase in production can be done safely.
The agency had capped production shortly after the horrific incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max jet in January 2024. In practice, however, the production rate fell well below the ceiling last year as the company struggled with investigations and a machinists’ strike. idle factories for almost eight weeks. But Boeing said in the summer that it had reached the monthly limit in the second quarter and would eventually seek permission from the FAA to start producing more planes.
A spokesman for Boeing said Friday that the company is following a “disciplined process” to ensure it is prepared to safely ramp up production using safety guidelines and performance targets it has established with the FAA.
“We appreciate the work of our team, our suppliers, and the FAA to ensure we are ready to increase production while keeping safety and quality at the forefront,” Boeing said in a statement. he said.
The FAA also said Friday that it would not change the way Boeing inspects manufacturing processes and the company’s efforts to strengthen its safety culture, adding that FAA inspectors at Boeing facilities continue to work on safety measures. federal government shutdown It started on October 1.
Just last month, FAA also restored Boeing’s ability to perform final safety inspections on 737 Max jetliners and certify them for flight. Boeing had not been allowed to do so for more than six years after two crashes of the then-new model killed 346 people. FAA took full control More than 737 Max approvals in 2019, two accidents this was then connected to a new software system that Boeing developed for the aircraft.
Earlier this year, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg faced questions from a Senate committee about the production pace of the 737 Max, and lawmakers sought assurances from Ortberg that the company was prioritizing quality and safety over meeting production targets for profit.
“To be very clear, we will not increase production unless performance indicates a stable production system,” Ortberg said at the April hearing. “We will continue to work to achieve a stable system.”
The incident involving the Alaska Airlines flight that led to a production limit on Max jets was among a series of security breaches Boeing allegedly committed between September 2023 and February 2024. FAA wants $3.1 million The company is fined.
