Boeing presents proposal to American aviation authority.
Boeing supposedly delivered a "detailed strategy" to the FAA during a meeting, which the regulatory body had mandated after a Boeing 737 MAX 9 of Alaska Airlines encountered an issue on January 5th. A portion of the cabin wall separated during the flight, prompting an emergency landing. In January, the FAA imposed a temporary flight ban on these aircraft, impacting 171 of them.
On February 28th, the FAA mandated that Boeing develop a plan within 90 days to "resolve the systemic issues with quality control in order to fulfill the FAA's persistent safety regulations." Fortnightly progress reports were created following 30 days and 60 days.
The strategy, as described by Whitaker, focuses mainly on six key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs are intended to help monitor production quality in real-time. The KPIs will serve as a "dashboard" showing Boeing's efforts in promoting safety.
Boeing has pledged to adopt a comprehensive approach to identifying vulnerabilities and risk management. Administration staff training improvement efforts, increased communication with all stakeholders, including pilots, and increased supplier monitoring are also on the table.
In the wake of January's incident, Boeing faced several additional issues. In early March, a tire separated from a Boeing 777 operated by United Airlines shortly after takeoff from San Francisco. Furthermore, New Zealand authorities initiated an investigation about several passengers getting hurt due to extreme turbulence on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying from Sydney to Auckland last week.
