UPDATE Jan 16 – Under pressure, Boeing is taking immediate actions to bolster quality assurance and controls on the 737/MAX production lines in its own premises and those of tier-1 supplier Spirit AeroSystems. Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) President and CEO Stan Deal announced this in a letter to employees that Boeing shared on its website on Monday.
The airframer is under intense internal and external pressure to get its act together and make sure that its aircraft are produced correctly and safely. Last Friday, the FAA announced an investigation into the production quality of the MAX 9 and an audit of the production line, which follows the blowout of a door plug on an aircraft of Alaska Airlines on January 5. Alaska Airlines said on Saturday that it will enhance oversight on the Boeing aircraft currently on the production line.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
