The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has told beleaguered aircraft manufacturer Boeing that it must develop and submit to the agency a comprehensive action plan to address systemic quality control issues within the next 90 days.
The ultimatum followed an all-day safety discussion at the FAA’s headquarters in Washington DC on Wednesday which saw FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker personally tell senior Boeing officials of the requirement to create a “systemic shift in manufacturing quality control.”
The FAA has already started a detailed audit of Boeing’s 737MAX production line following the blowout of a mid-cabin door plug on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on January 5, and a federal investigation into alleged noncompliance with manufacturing quality procedures is still ongoing.
“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” commented Whitaker after the demand for Boeing to develop an action plan was made public.
“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, with mutually understood milestones and expectations,” Whitaker continued.
While a comprehensive federal audit of Boeing’s production and quality control processes is still underway, the manufacturer is barred from expanding production of its troubled 737MAX line.
The FAA says the results of its audit should be released in the coming weeks.
In 2019, Boeing committed to developing a Safety Management System, and now the company is being asked to further develop this program to encompass third-party suppliers such as Spirit Aerosystems, the manufacturer of the mid-cabin exit plug.
