Boeing has submitted its comprehensive action plan to the FAA to detail how the company intends to implement safety and quality fixes on the assembly line for its commercial aircraft.
The US civil aviation authority had given the planemaker 90 days to develop a new safety and quality strategy after a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 came loose in flight.
Boeing leadership and the FAA board met on Thursday to present the roadmap and discuss its implementation.
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The company says it is focusing on four pillars, training the workforce, simplifying plans and processes, eliminating defects and elevating the safety and quality culture.
Despite this, the FAA stated that it “will continue to hold Boeing accountable after reviewing the company’s roadmap to fix its systemic safety and quality-control issues.”
“Today, we reviewed Boeing’s roadmap to set a new standard of safety and underscored that they must follow through on corrective actions and effectively transform their safety culture,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said.
“I made clear once again that we need to see a strong and unwavering commitment to safety, which must always come first,” he added.
Production expansion on hold
Amid scrutiny of the company, the FAA ordered Boeing not to expand production of the 737 MAX, but the manufacturer itself ended up reducing the pace of the assembly line while making changes to the process.
The government agency also stated that it will continue to carry out safety inspections at the facilities of Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems, its aerostructures supplier.
Additionally, the FAA says it will maintain the scheme of issuing airworthiness certificates for each 737 MAX produced.
Boeing continues to be prevented from expanding the aircraft’s production rate.
