Hundreds of Boeing 737MAX jets may have unsafe seats
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to require inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX planes after finding a defect that might cause passenger seats to come loose during extreme stress.
The FAA’s proposed airworthiness directive, released on July 27, said it received reports that some passenger seats were not properly attached to their tracks during installation. If this problem is not fixed, the seats could come loose during severe turbulence, emergency landings, or other stressful situations, increasing the risk of injuries.
The directive would apply to 453 Boeing 737MAX jets. The aviation administration has not yet set a deadline for airlines to complete the inspections and repairs if the proposal is approved.
The FAA’s directive would apply to Boeing 737 MAX planes registered in the US. While the FAA can only enforce changes for US airlines, other carriers often follow similar rules, so the impact could reach beyond the US.
What is the 737MAX?
A standard 737 MAX can have up to 69 passenger seat assemblies attached to tracks. The FAA estimates that checking each seat would take about an hour, and repairs would take another hour if needed, without requiring new parts. Airlines could speed up the process by having several maintenance teams work on different parts of the plane at once.
An estimated 2,300 Boeing 737 MAX planes are flying worldwide. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines is the only operator of the 737MAX.
Last week, a Boeing 737 flight operated by Ryanair, a low-cost airline, had to return to Thessaloniki Airport in Greece after a window blew out, partially pulling a passenger toward the opening. Boeing’s stock fell slightly last Friday, possibly because of the incident.
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