The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday it is opening a review into Boeing’s safety processes to ensure they meet the administration’s requirements.
“The review will focus on key areas of Boeing’s safety processes, such as response time, risk-assessment quality, resource allocation, and adherence to regulatory requirements and FAA policy,” the FAA said in a release, adding that it expects the review to take three months.
Boeing has seen multiple, highly public technical failures this year, including the midair blowout of a door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in January, in which the Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft made an emergency landing. There were no fatalities, though several passengers required medical care for apparently non-life-threatening injuries.
The Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into Boeing earlier this year after the company admitted that it couldn’t find records that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sought for work done on the pane
l at its factory.
In March, an FAA audit found multiple “non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control.” Last month, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker testified before the Senate regarding Boeing. A memo from the agency highlighted the aircraft manufacturer’s inadequate training for personnel and failure to conduct sufficient quality inspections.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) last month sent a letter urging the Justice Department to take action against Boeing’s executives over safety issues.
Boeing’s workers have also been in the midst of a strike, as around 33,000 machinists walked off the job shortly after midnight September 13 over wage increases and the reinstatement of pensions.
Source: Kuwait News Agency