US Federal Aviation Administration criticized by government over oversight of aircraft manufacturer Boeing

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on October 19 that it will open a new safety review of Boeing as it continues to closely monitor the aircraft manufacturer following an in-flight emergency in January this year, Reuters reported.

The FAA said the new review will examine issues such as the quality of risk assessments, resource allocation and compliance with regulatory requirements and is expected to take three months. The agency plans to regularly review Boeing, a spokesman said.

The Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General has criticized the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) oversight of Boeing, saying the agency does not have an effective system to monitor the aircraft maker's individual manufacturing facilities.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will open a new safety review of Boeing. Photo: Reuters

A Boeing spokesperson said the aircraft manufacturer continues to cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA. " We support all actions to enhance safety in the aviation industry," a Boeing representative affirmed.

The FAA said on October 18 that it is reviewing Boeing’s operational safety procedures to ensure they meet FAA requirements and provide accurate and timely safety-related information for use by the FAA. This is part of its ongoing oversight to ensure Boeing has the appropriate tools to sustain long-term changes to its safety culture.

Earlier this year, a Senate report found 97 incidents, including problems with Boeing’s manufacturing controls, parts handling and storage, and product control. It also said the FAA found 23 instances of noncompliance or incompetence by employees.

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker, who has frequently vowed to hold Boeing accountable for safety failures, said last month that improving the safety culture at Boeing could take three to five years to implement.

The FAA has been under increased scrutiny of Boeing after a missing latch caused the emergency exit door of a 737 MAX 9 jet to crash at 16,000 feet (4,880 meters) in January. The incident even prompted the Justice Department to order a criminal investigation.

A series of reports in recent years have raised concerns about the FAA’s oversight of Boeing. Last month, a Senate committee investigating Boeing’s culture criticized the agency. Whitaker has said he will improve the FAA’s safety management program. He has acknowledged that the FAA did not do enough to monitor Boeing before the door failure.

The head of the FAA has taken the unprecedented step of banning Boeing from expanding production of the 737 MAX until significant quality improvements are made.

In particular, according to the Seattle Times, the US Congress has increased its oversight of Boeing since the Alaska Airlines plane door incident. Senator Tammy Duckworth, chairwoman of the Senate Aviation Safety Subcommittee, said that the report by the Department of Transportation Inspector General once again reinforced her view that the FAA has not put enough pressure on Boeing to take responsibility for safety issues.

" As the federal agency responsible for ensuring Boeing improves its safety culture, the FAA clearly has a responsibility to protect the public when flying. I will continue to closely monitor those efforts," Duckworth said .

Senator Maria Cantwell went on to say that the report exposed serious flaws in the FAA's oversight process.

“Aviation safety is never negotiable. Congress should hold the FAA accountable for the highest aviation safety standards. I look forward to hearing from FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker on how to address and fix these issues ,” Cantwell said.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/cuc-hang-khong-my-bi-chinh-quyen-chi-trich-do-lien-quan-den-giam-sat-nha-san-xuat-may-bay-boeing-353455.html