Boeing given 90 days by FAA to come up with a plan to improve safety and quality of manufacturing

Associated Press

The Federal Aviation Administration is giving Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building new planes.

The agency said Wednesday that the directive follows meetings with top Boeing officials, including the company’s CEO at FAA headquarters in Washington.

“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way.”

The FAA said new deadline comes after FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker met with Boeing CEO David Calhoun and other top company officials.

The FAA is currently completing an audit of assembly lines at the factory near Seattle, where Boeing builds planes like the 737 Max that suffered a door-panel blowout in January. Investigators say bolts that help keep the panel in place were missing after repair work on the Alaska Airlines jet at the Boeing factory.

Boeing Co., based in Arlington, Virginia, did not immediately return a request for comment.