In late February, the Federal Aviation Administration gave Boeing a 90-day deadline to improve its aircraft safety standards, according to The Associated Press. The deadline followed a series of mechanical issues and malfunctions that raised concerns over the safety of Boeing aircrafts and their passengers.
Boeing’s plan will be presented to FAA officials this week, per CNN. Whether those plans will be immediately released to the public remains unclear — however, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker “is slated to speak about the Boeing plan later on Thursday.”
Why did the FAA put down a deadline?
The 90-day deadline is a “beginning, not the end” of Boeing’s process for improvement, according to CNN. Safety concerns grew significantly when, in 2018 and 2019, two planes crashed and killed 346 people total.
In January, a Boeing 737 lost its rear door plug, leaving a gaping hole in the wall of the plane. According to NPR, the plane “climbed to 16,000 feet before returning to the Portland International Airport.” None of the 174 passengers and six crew members were harmed.
The incident led to criminal and civil investigations — per The Associated Press — along with several whistleblowers who blamed Boeing for putting passengers at risk through their lack of proper aircraft building. Upon inspection, investigators discovered that the broken door frame of the aircraft was caused by missing bolts.
The FAA took matters into its own hands by giving Boeing a deadline to come up with a “quality improvement plan,” according to CNBC. Additionally, “the FAA also barred Boeing from increasing 737 Max production until the agency was satisfied with Boeing’s quality control improvements.”
This limitation has caused aircraft delays and difficulties for airline companies.
What is Boeing’s plan?
According to CNN, Boeing has begun its process of making changes in its “production process.” This will hopefully result in safer airplane manufacturing. “The changes include clearer instructions for the assembly line, training improvements and more tools,” per CNN. “The company says it has also ordered each station be completed before a plane moves on the assembly line.”
Boeing officials don’t expect the issues to be resolved immediately. Per CNBC, Chief Financial Officer Brian West shared his thoughts in a recent investor conference. “The 90-day plan ... is not a finish line,” he said. “We look forward to the feedback that we’ll get after next week.”
Boeing is expected to explain the ideas it has for improvement, according to CNBC. The company has reportedly received thousands of ideas and staff concerns. “The manufacturer is also set to explain more about its factory ‘stand-downs,’ in which it paused work to have conversations about potential improvements on production lines with employees.”