FAA Mulls Stripping Boeing’s Right to Self-Inspect Planes, Expands Oversight of Manufacturing, Amid Door Plug Blowout Fiasco

Boeing’s authority to self-inspect its aircraft is being re-considered by federal aviation authorities after a Boeing 737 Max 9’s door plug blew out mid-flight.

Alaska Airlines flight 1276, a Boeing 737-900, taxis before takeoff from Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 6, 2024. Craig Mitchelldyer/AP Photo

Federal aviation authorities have taken “new and significant actions” against Boeing, including considering stripping the company of its power to self-inspect aircraft, amid continued fallout from the recent mid-air door plug blowout.

About a week ago, a panel covering an unused emergency door blew out mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 9 series aircraft, prompting a rapid decompression and forcing an emergency landing.