The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday cleared airlines to begin formal inspections of the grounded Boeing 737 Max 9s in their fleets, announcing a protocol that, if followed, could see the jetliners return to the air before the end of the month.
In the same breath, however, the federal regulator also imposed limits on Boeing’s production of the controversial aircraft. “Let me be clear: This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. “We will not agree to any request from Boeing for an expansion in production or approve additional production lines for the 737 MAX until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.”
The agency grounded scores of Max 9s in the wake of a harrowing incident that saw a door plug blow out of an Alaska Airlines Boeing at 16,000 feet on Jan. 5. The move forced Alaska and United Airlines to cancel hundreds of flights.
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Both airlines said they planned to set about fulfilling the FAA’s approved inspection and maintenance instructions. Alaska Airlines, which has 65 Max 9s, said that it would have “our first few planes” flying again by Friday, “with more planes added every day as inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy.”
United Airlines, which has 79 Max 9s, said it would have its planes return to service by Sunday.
According to the FAA’s instructions, inspectors must look over each of the 171 grounded planes’ bolts, guide tracks, and fittings; retorque their fasteners; and correct “any damage or abnormal conditions.” The process will also require “detailed visual inspections of left and right mid-cabin exit door plugs and dozens of associated components,” according to the regulator.
Boeing said in a statement following the FAA’s announcement that it would work to help get its planes back in the air. “We will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA and follow their direction as we take action to strengthen safety and quality at Boeing,” spokesperson Jessica Kowal said in a statement to NPR. “We will also work closely with our airline customers as they complete the required inspection procedures to safely return their 737-9 airplanes to service.”
The cap on production expansion, which freezes manufacturing at current levels, promises to frustrate Boeing’s efforts to scale up output and better compete with Airbus, a goal first reported by Axios. Boeing has been producing approximately 30 Max 9s per month at its Washington state factory, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The FAA also plans to keep “boots on the ground” at the factory until inspectors are satisfied that its quality control system is working, Whitaker told CNBC earlier this week. The agency is weighing a potential expansion of the probe beyond the Max 9s should its inspectors find issues elsewhere along the assembly line, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.
Also sniffing around Boeing is the Biden administration, which plans to undertake a “wide-ranging review” of the company’s oversight and quality control practices, Bloomberg added on Wednesday. The FAA’s announcement comes hours after Boeing CEO David Calhoun departed Capitol Hill, where he met with several lawmakers.
It remains unclear what exactly caused the Jan. 5 midair blowout.
