The Director of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that Boeing must improve its internal safety culture and address quality issues before he can allow the aircraft manufacturer to increase production of the 737 MAX.
In January of this year, a Boeing aircraft operated by Alaska Airlines experienced a door stopper (embedded emergency door) falling off during flight. After an audit, it was found that four bolts that were supposed to fix the door stopper in place were missing.
After the accident, FAA immediately informed Boeing that the agency would not allow the company to expand production of the 737 MAX. Whittaker described this event as a production issue, not a design issue.
On Tuesday (March 19th), FAA Director Mike Whitaker stated in an interview that the agency has not yet begun discussions with Boeing regarding increasing production of the 737, but stated that only in Boeing& Quota; Safe operation quality system; Quota; Only then will the institution allow it to increase production.
Safety non-compliance
Whittaker pointed out that the agency's recent audit of Boeing found that the company culture emphasizes mass production rather than safety standards, which is not what people expect.
Whittaker emphasized, "Whenever someone comes to the Federal Aviation Administration to introduce their company, the first thing I expect is to talk about safety, because we all have to start from there."
He also revealed that Boeing is allowed to produce 38 737 aircraft per month, but the current actual production is "lower than this number.".
Due to consecutive quality issues with the aircraft, there is increasing criticism of Boeing. When asked if it was "too big to fail," Whittaker responded that economics is not part of my portfolio, but I want to say that they are too big to make a good airplane. They have all the resources they need, and there is no reason why they cannot manufacture a good airplane, which is our current focus.
Last month, Boeing was required to develop a plan within 90 days to improve its culture and practices to meet FAA standards. Boeing stated after the audit that it will continue to "immediately implement reforms and develop a comprehensive action plan.".
When asked if Boeing would meet the FAA deadline, Whittaker replied, "I think they have no other choice."
"They need to manufacture safe airplanes, otherwise they will be limited to unsustainable production levels, so I believe they will achieve their goals."