FAA Allows MAX 9 to Return, Restricts Boeing’s Production

Boeing MAX 9 aircraft that have been thoroughly inspected and approved are allowed to return to service, the FAA has announced late on Wednesday. Alaska Airlines said it will resume operations of the type on Friday and United Airlines from Sunday. At the same time, the FAA has stepped up scrutiny of Boeing by blocking any expansion of the MAX production in Renton. The FAA said it has approved a detailed set of inspection and maintenance instructions after reviewing data from 40 MAX 9s, specifically the mid-cabin door plug. This part failed on January 5 on the Alaska Airlines flights after departure from Portland, causing a sudden decompression. The agency requires operators of the 171 MAX 9s with door plugs to inspect specific bolts, guide tracks, and fittings, do detailed visual inspections of the left and right door plugs and dozens of associated components, retorque fasteners, and correct any damage or abnormal conditions. Resuming services on Friday In response to the FAA announcement, Alaska Airlines said that it expects to resume MAX 9 operations on Friday, while United Airlines has tentatively rescheduled the type for services on Sunday again. “Each of our aircraft will only return to service once the rigorous inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy according to the FAA requirements. We have 65 737-9 MAX in our fleet. The inspections are expected to take up to 12 hours for each plane,” Alaska said in a statement. The announcement has been met with skepticism and disapproval on social media with people, who don’t have any confidence that the MAX is safe again. CEO Ben Minicucci was most critical of Boeing in an interview on Tuesday, saying he had been “very, very angry” about the situation. A report in The Seattle Times quotes a whistleblower on LeehamNews, who stated that the door plug that failed on AS1282 had been incorrectly repaired and placed. The flawed documentation system at Boeing failed to identify what work was done and missed that four bolts in the fitting mechanism must have been absent. This allowed the door plug to move upwards under cabin pressure and eventually blow out. The NTSB investigation needs to confirm these allegations. Expansion blocked The return to service of the MAX 9 might be good news for Boeing, but FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker isn’t done with the airframer. “However, let me be clear: This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing. 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,” he said in a statement. Whitaker added: “The quality assurance issues we have seen are unacceptable. That is why we will have more boots on the ground closely scrutinizing and monitoring production and manufacturing activities.” Boeing is in the process of ramping up the 737/MAX production. It produced 31 aircraft per month by mid-2023 and targeted 38 by the end of the year, moving to 42 by early 2024. In reality, due to rework required following earlier quality issues, the actual rate was closer to 30 aircraft per month. The FAA says now that it has capped expanded production of new MAX aircraft “to ensure accountability and full compliance with required quality control procedures.” The agency is also launching an investigation into “scrutinizing Boeing’s compliance with manufacturing requirements. The FAA will use the full extent of its enforcement authority to ensure the company is held accountable for any non-compliance.” The FAA will also be “aggressively expanding oversight of new aircraft with increased floor presence at all Boeing facilities, closely monitoring data to identify risk, and launching an analysis of potential safety-focused reforms around quality control and delegation.” Boeing said in a statement: “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. 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 airframer said on January 15 that it would take "immediate actions" to improve quality oversight. President and CEO David Calhoun visited Congress on Wednesday to discuss the situation with various Senators, who earlier raised concerns about the safety standards at Boeing. On Thursday, Boeing will hold a “Quality Stand Down” in Renton for employees to participate in working sessions on quality. More sessions are planned for other production sites later on. The ramifications of production expansion stop and additional checks will likely be hard. Boeing had hoped to ramp up production this year and clear the inventory of MAX aircraft that still required rework on the tailfin fittings and aft pressure bulkhead. The airframer has a net backlog of 4.332 737 P-8As and MAX aircraft, including 1.063 MAX 10s and 363 MAX 7s that have not yet been certified. Deliveries will be at a lower rate for at least the next few months until the FAA is fully satisfied that Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems can comply with all quality standards. Boeing is expected to provide guidance of its 2024 production rates during its FY23 earnings call next Wednesday. Boeing delivered 396 737s and MAX aircraft in 2023.

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