FAA Orders Crack Inspections on Boeing 737 MAX Jets; Indian Operators on Alert
What Happened
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has directed inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 8, MAX 9 and MAX 8-200 aircraft after cracks were reported in a structural reinforcement near a galley door. The directive affects 471 US-registered aircraft and an estimated 1,429 aircraft worldwide, though no cracks have been reported on the MAX fleet so far. The aircraft have not been grounded. Boeing says the problem was first seen on older 737 models, but inspections were extended to the MAX family because of similar design and manufacturing processes.
Key Takeaways
News agency PTI reported last year that India operates as many as 56 Boeing 737 Max planes, and the government said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that no engine failures had been reported by them recently