The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced it will allow Boeing's 737 Max 9 jets to resume flights once inspections are completed, but has blocked any expansion of production for the 737 Max family until quality control issues are resolved.
The FAA grounded 171 of the planes after a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 mid-flight on 5 January, forcing an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines plan to return the jets to service in the coming days, with Alaska expecting its first planes back on Friday and United preparing to resume flights from 28 January.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stated, '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.'
Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have expressed frustration with Boeing. Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said inspections found 'many' loose bolts and that the plane came 'off the production line with a faulty door.' United CEO Scott Kirby described the grounding as 'the straw that broke the camel's back' and said the airline is planning a future without the Boeing 737 Max 10.
The incident raises fresh safety questions for Boeing, which faced intense scrutiny after two fatal crashes of 737 Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Boeing CEO David Calhoun faced questions from US lawmakers on Wednesday regarding the mid-air emergency.
