The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday cleared Boeing Co. to return its 737-9 MAX planes to service, but will not allow any expansion of production of the plane.
The FAA plans to take “additional steps to ensure the safety of all aircraft” and will allow the Boeing 737 MAX 9 to return to service after inspection, the agency announced. announced In a press release. But the agency said it will not be allowed to expand production of MAX planes until the company resolves ongoing quality control issues. (Related: Biden's FAA recruits employees with 'severe intellectual' disabilities for DEI initiative)
“The FAA today notified Boeing that it will not allow Boeing to expand production of the MAX, including the 737-9 MAX. This action follows an FAA investigation and increased oversight of Boeing and its suppliers. ” states the press release. “The FAA also today approved the thorough inspection and maintenance process that must be performed on each of the 171 grounded Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft. Once successfully completed, the aircraft will be able to return to service. ”
We have grounded the Boeing 737-9 MAX and have made it clear that it will not return to flight until it is safe to do so. The enhanced review that our team completed gave me and the FAA the confidence to proceed to the inspection and maintenance phase before returning to service. https://t.co/xcC5CjdU6p
— FAA Mike Whitaker (@FAA_Mike) January 24, 2024
Problems with the Boeing 737-9 Max began in early January after the footage. circulated A large window was missing from an Alaska Airlines passenger plane, and a video of it escaping shortly after takeoff was posted online. The FAA announced that statement The day after the incident, Boeing announced that its planes would be “temporarily grounded” around the world.
🚨#breaking news: Alaska Airlines plane's large window blown out mid-air, forcing emergency landing ⁰⁰📌#Portland | #Oregon
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 made a forced emergency landing at Portland International Airport Friday night. Airplanes, travel… pic.twitter.com/nt0FwmPALE— RAWSALETS (@rawsalerts) January 6, 2024
The Alaska Airlines flight was headed from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, before the incident occurred about 20 minutes after takeoff. Video footage of the gaping hole in the plane, which was shared on Twitter, showed oxygen masks dangling in front of passengers and what appeared to be a huge chunk of the plane missing. (Related: Boeing 737 forced to return to Japanese airport after crack found in cockpit window)
According to a Jan. 24 press release, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said that after “several weeks of information gathering,” the administration would proceed to the “inspection and maintenance phase.” But Whittaker stressed that Boeing is not “going back to business” and said “any requests” from Boeing to expand production will not be cleared until “quality control issues” are satisfied.
“We grounded the Boeing 737-9 MAX within hours of the incident over Portland and made it clear that we would not return to service until it was safe to do so,” Whitaker said in a press release. “The thorough and enhanced review that our team completed after several weeks of information gathering has given me and the FAA confidence to move forward with the inspection and maintenance phase.”
“But let's be clear: Boeing is not going back to business as usual,” Whitaker added. “We will not agree to Boeing's request to expand production or approve additional 737 MAX production lines until the quality control issues identified during this process are resolved.”
Since the Alaska Airlines incident, four passengers on the dramatic flight are suing both the airline and Boeing over a 'terrorist' experience, ABC News report.
