The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday that it had informed aircraft manufacturer Boeing that it must develop a comprehensive plan to address “systematic quality control issues” within 90 days, after a meeting with Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s CEO.
“Boeing must commit to real, deep improvements,” Mike Whitaker, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States, explained in a statement after the meeting.
He pointed out that making a fundamental change will require a continuous effort from the company’s leadership. Whitaker stressed that management will hold Boeing accountable every step of the way, with pivotal stages and expectations agreed upon together.
Boeing quickly strengthened safety measures after the window of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX plane crashed on the fifth of last month while it was on a flight in Oregon.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement that the plane made a safe emergency landing without casualties 35 minutes after take-off.
The company indicated that it will examine its fleet of 65 aircraft of the same type, and that it will take a few days. The company stopped all its fleet of this model.
The specialized website “Flight Aware” indicated that the plane, which was carrying 171 passengers and 6 crew members, was at an altitude of 5,000 metres.
About 218 copies of this model have been delivered so far, according to data obtained by Agence France-Presse from Boeing.
The plane was certified last October, according to Federal Aviation Administration records available online.
