The US aviation regulator has blocked Boeing from expanding production of its most popular plane, citing concerns about the manufacturer’s quality control after a door panel blew out of a 737 Max 9 plane this month.
“Let me be clear: this won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing,” said Michael Whitaker, head of the Federal Aviation Administration. “We will not agree to any request from Boeing for an expansion in production or approve additional production lines for the 737 Max until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.”
The announcement late on Wednesday came weeks after a mid-flight breach of the fuselage on a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines in early January, terrifying passengers and raising questions about the safety of air travel. The FAA ordered the model grounded until extensive inspections and maintenance took place.