Boeing not allowed to boost 737 Max production yet, US regulators say
- The aviation giant had been barred from increasing production of its bestselling aircraft after a mid-air door panel blowout in January
- The US Federal Aviation Administration said after a three-hour meeting with Boeing officials that its enhanced oversight of the company will continue
US regulators will not immediately allow Boeing to increase 737 Max production as it addresses ongoing safety issues, the agency’s administrator said on Thursday, after a three-hour meeting with company officials, including outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s enhanced oversight of Boeing will continue in coming months, with weekly meetings and quarterly exchanges between the heads of the company and the US regulator.
The planemaker had been barred in February by the FAA from boosting production of its bestselling aircraft after a door panel blowout during a January 5 flight on a new 737 Max 9.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker on Thursday said he does not expect Boeing to win approval to increase production of the Max “in the next few months” and has had no discussions with Boeing yet about the issue.
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Boeing Max plane grounded globally after mid-air blowout leaving hole the size of a door
He said the FAA would monitor Boeing over the coming months to understand its quality and safety improvements “to give us a fundamental picture of whether they are in the right zone … We want to make sure the system is running as safely as it should.”
