US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday that the Federal Aviation Administration will conduct a rigorous assessment of Boeing Co. after a partial explosion of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines aircraft in January.
He said, "To maintain aviation safety, this means being very strict when dealing with Boeing and any regulatory issues. This is exactly what the Federal Aviation Administration is doing."
After a series of flight accidents this year, Boeing is facing scrutiny from passengers and regulatory agencies, with the most notable being the door of a brand new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 aircraft falling off in mid air in January. At that time, it caused a big wave of public opinion, and the Ministry of Justice also launched a criminal investigation into it.
The National Transportation Safety Board found in a preliminary report that all four bolts on the panel of an embedded emergency door on the side of the cabin were missing. Fortunately, all 171 passengers and 6 crew members on board were evacuated and did not suffer serious injuries.
In addition, Boeing stated in a letter to Congress that it was unable to locate records of the work done on the faulty hatch panel. You should know that this is a very important document in the industry. Boeing's recognition of this is remarkable.
After the accident, airlines around the world briefly suspended the flight of the Max 9, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States ordered a temporary suspension of 171 aircraft for inspection. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have both expressed disappointment with the quality issues of Boeing's aircraft and may consider other aircraft purchase options in the future.
Due to these accidents, the Department of Justice and FAA initiated joint criminal charges against Boeing, and Boeing spent $2.5 billion to reach a settlement. Since the end of December last year, Boeing's stock price has fallen by about 24%, the largest decline in nearly two years.
It is worth noting that before Buttigieg made the above comments, United Airlines' flights also experienced a week full of accidents. Last Friday, one of the company's Boeing planes crashed off a taxiway in Houston, while another Boeing plane lost a tire after takeoff from San Francisco. Shortly after takeoff, a Boeing aircraft discovered an engine continuously emitting sparks, and the aircraft immediately returned for an emergency landing.
"Airplanes should be the safest way of traveling in the world, so these accidents should not be taken for granted," he said.