Boeing presents safety management plan to FAA

Federal Aviation Administration chief Michael Whitaker on Thursday said his agency would oversee the implementation of the new safety plan. Whitaker’s promise came after a three-hour meeting with Boeing executives earlier in the day.

In February, the agency demanded that Boeing formulate a plan within 90 days on how to protect passengers better after a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight in early January. The FAA provided detailed input throughout the process and checked in with Boeing at the 30- and 60-day marks during the three-month time frame.

What does the plan entail? The FAA requires the company to implement a safety management system that provides a systematic, structured way to identify and address safety hazards. The company will also increase employee training and supplier oversight while implementing a better employee safety reporting system. Boeing also promised to increase the frequency of internal audits.

Boeing said it examined its safety process more closely while formulating this plan. It also heard from its employees and customers about their concerns and ideas. The company also received feedback from its regulators and independent experts while drafting the plan. Boeing said it will continue improving its safety procedures moving forward.

The FAA said it would monitor the implementation and effectiveness of Boeing’s new procedures. FAA experts will meet with Boeing representatives weekly to monitor their progress. The agency will also conduct its own independent, periodic audits of Spirit AeroSystems’ production facilities—where many parts for Boeing’s planes are produced—and other Boeing facilities and will add additional inspections to Boeing products.

What else has the FAA done? The new safety plan comes after the FAA halted a production expansion of one of Boeing’s airplane models, the 737 MAX. It increased safety inspections at a Spirit AeroSystems facility and a separate Boeing facility. The agency also grounded 171 of its Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft—all those with door plugs like the one that blew out in January—just weeks after the incident. It has also conducted an independent audit of Boeing’s production line.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Muncy’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about how Boeing has had to make adjustments to salvage its reputation for safety.