by US officials have provided a briefing to a congressional committee on their investigations into a recent incident where a panel of a jetliner’s fuselage blew off during a flight. It has been revealed that airlines have inspected 40 identical Boeing planes, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will review the information from these inspections before allowing the planes to carry passengers again. The investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA are still in the early stages.
During the briefing, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker indicated that the FAA is focusing on the challenges that Boeing has faced over a longer period of time, of which this incident was only one component. The FAA is also under scrutiny regarding its oversight responsibilities.
Separately, the NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that her agency will investigate how the panel was produced by Spirit AeroSystems and installed on the Alaska Airlines plane. Spirit AeroSystems confirmed that the plug was made in Malaysia and expressed its commitment to cooperate with the NTSB.
Boeing CEO David Calhoun visited the Wichita factory of Spirit AeroSystems and promised that the two companies will work together to improve. Both companies have been subjected to scrutiny over the quality of their work. Calhoun and Spirit CEO Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, also met with Spirit employees to reassure them and restore confidence.
The incident involving an Alaska Airlines Max 9 on January 5 led to an emergency landing. The NTSB is investigating the accident, while the FAA is looking into whether Boeing and its suppliers followed quality-control procedures. Alaska and United Airlines, the only other US airline operating the Max 9, have discovered loose hardware in door plugs of other planes during their inspections, resulting in the grounding of their Max 9s and numerous flight cancellations.
Boeing shares have dropped 18% since the incident, making the company the worst performer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
