FAA HEIGHTENS OVERSIGHT UP AND DOWN SUPPLY CHAIN AFTER BOEING INCIDENT
March 18, 2024
Following last month’s fallout surrounding missing Boeing 737 MAX 9 door plug bolts, the FAA announced heightened oversight of Boeing’s 737 program including an investigation of its compliance with manufacturing requirements and an increased presence of FAA inspectors at all Boeing facilities. Of note, the FAA plans to dispatch twenty-four (24) inspectors to Boeing’s 737 manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington, as well as Spirit AeroSystems’ fuselage supply line in Wichita, Kansas. While the FAA’s attention is currently focused on Boeing’s manufacturing process, FAA officials stressed that increased oversight would apply to all aviation manufacturers throughout the supply chain. This comes after Boeing confirmed that approximately 50 of the 737 fuselages made by Spirit AeroSystems had misdrilled holes, prompting the FAA to expand the scope of its oversight to manufacturers up and down the supply chain. These actions will likely delay near-term 737 deliveries because FAA, pursuant to its regulatory authority, plans to limit Boeing 737 deliveries to no more than 38 airworthiness certificates per month.
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