The US Federal Aviation Administration will increase its oversight of Boeing's production line as it reassesses safety risks a week after Alaska Airlines suffered a blowout shortly after take-off.
The accident involving a door plug – a panel fitted in place of an unused emergency exit – led to the grounding of 171 Boeing jets with the same configuration as the airline's Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.
"It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks," FAA administrator Mike Whitaker said on Friday.
"The grounding of the 737-9 and the multiple production-related issues identified in recent years require us to look at every option to reduce risk."
The FAA is exploring the use of an independent third party to oversee Boeing’s inspections and its quality checks, he said.
"The FAA’s statement reflects just how serious the issue is," Addison Schonland, partner at US-based AirInsight, told The National.
"The FAA has a history with the Max that brought their oversight under question. This means they are wary of any Max safety issue."
The US regulator will now be "very careful" with anything related to the Max, said Mr Schonland.
"The certification of the Max 7 and Max 10 will be even slower. Boeing will likely need FAA approval on any delivery, not just [the] Max," he said.
Boeing's chief executive Dave Calhoun said on Tuesday that the plane maker should accept the fault and make amends after the blowout triggered concerns about its quality standards.
He made the remarks during a company-wide meeting called to reinforce safety as the top priority for the company.
On Thursday, the FAA announced an investigation to determine if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition deemed safe for operation in compliance with the regulator's regulations.
The Arlington, Virginia-based plane maker's 737 Max customers include flydubai, Southwest, United, American Airlines, Ryanair, Air Canada, Turkish Airlines and some Chinese carriers.
Regulators around the world said they were “closely monitoring” the situation.
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority said that none of the airlines in the country that operate the 737 Max 9 aircraft were affected.
Boeing is is also in talks with its customers, with Mr Calhoun stating that such incidents "shake them to the bone, just like it shook me".
“This stuff matters. Every detail matters," he said on Tuesday.
The actions announced by the FAA on Friday come a day after the regulator formally notified Boeing that it had launched an investigation into the company as a result of the Alaska Airlines incident.
The FAA will audit the plane maker's 737-9 Max production line and its suppliers to evaluate its compliance with its approved quality procedures.
"The results of the FAA’s audit analysis will determine whether additional audits are necessary," the regulator said.
The FAA will also increase monitoring of 737-9 Max in-service events.
It will also conduct an "assessment of safety risks around delegated authority and quality oversight, and [an] examination of options to move these functions under independent, third-party entities", the FAA said.
The Alaska Airlines incident took place a week after Boeing urged airlines to inspect 737 Max aircraft for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system.
Analysts said at the time that they did not expect any order cancellations for the Max.
The Alaska Airlines accident is the latest to affect the 737, Boeing's best-selling jet, which was grounded for two years in March 2019 after a defect in its flight stabilising system led to two fatal crashes.
In October, Boeing cut its 737 delivery target for this year, citing production quality problems at its biggest supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages for the narrow-body jets.
"The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service," the FAA said on Friday.
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
