The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday that Boeing will be given a 90-day deadline to create a comprehensive action plan to address its “systemic quality-control issues.” This plan must outline steps that Boeing will take to enhance its Safety Management System (SMS) program, which it committed to back in 2019. Additionally, Boeing will need to integrate its SMS program with a Quality Management System to ensure consistent oversight is applied to its suppliers, leading to an improvement in manufacturing quality control.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker emphasized the need for “real and profound improvements” during a meeting with Boeing’s CEO, Dave Calhoun, and the senior safety team. Whitaker highlighted the importance of Boeing reassessing every aspect of its quality-control process and making safety a top priority in all operations.
Calhoun, in response to the FAA’s announcement, stated that Boeing has a clear understanding of the necessary steps to be taken and is fully committed to addressing the challenges ahead. He assured that the company’s leadership team is dedicated to developing a comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria to showcase the significant changes required by the FAA.
The FAA specified that Boeing’s plan to rectify quality issues must consider the upcoming results of an ongoing FAA production-line audit and the recommendations outlined in the expert review panel report released by the FAA. The recent preliminary report on the in-flight fuselage panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX uncovered negligence in re-installing four retainer bolts at Boeing’s Renton 737 MAX final assembly plant.
The expert panel report stressed the need for substantial enhancements to Boeing’s quality and safety systems and instructed the company to formulate an action plan within six months. However, the FAA shortened this timeframe to three months, demonstrating the urgency of the situation. This comes after the FAA halted Boeing’s proposed increase in 737 MAX production, maintaining the production rate at 38 jets per month for the time being.
