According to a report by Reuters on July 28th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a proposed flight safety directive on Monday night, requiring a ‘detailed inspection’ of the seats on 453 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft registered in the United States.
The FAA stated that they have received reports indicating that some cabin seat components are not properly installed in the seat tracks. This means that these components could become detached from the seat tracks during heavy loads, rough conditions, or emergency landings.
FAA stated: “If this happens, passengers and crew may be injured during an emergency landing, or it could cause congestion and slow down the evacuation process.”
The latest quality inspection requirements proposed by the FAA apply to three MAX models that are currently operated by major airlines in the United States and internationally. The FAA states that the proposed inspections are expected to cost operators approximately $2.7 million (excluding re-installation costs).
According to reports, the FAA has jurisdiction only over American airlines. However, foreign regulatory agencies often follow the same guidelines as the FAA. According to data from aviation consulting and intelligence firm IBA, there are currently nearly 2,300 737 Max aircraft in operation worldwide, of which 823 are in the United States.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Boeing stated that it welcomes the FAA's decision to make the inspection guidelines it issued to operators mandatory requirements.
This new quality issue arose less than two weeks after the FAA returned the final safety approval for the newly produced 737 aircraft to Boeing. The FAA revoked this authorization after two fatal MAX crashes in 2019, and began allowing Boeing to gradually issue some airworthiness certificates last year.
This American company is also set to receive final approval from the FAA for two long-delayed 737 MAX models—the MAX 7 and MAX 10.
The certification process for these models has been delayed due to Boeing's continuous crises, including an incident that occurred in January 2024: a newly delivered aircraft to Alaska Airlines had a door seal panel fall off during flight due to improper installation. This incident resulted in the temporary grounding of dozens of 737 aircraft, and the FAA proposed a maximum civil fine of over $3 million.
