The US Civil Aviation Authority (FAA) is grounding the Boeing 737-Max-9 aircraft indefinitely. A new inspection was even ordered for 40 units. The supervisors only want to decide at a later date whether and, if so, under what conditions or improvements this type of machine can be used commercially again.

In the aftermath of the Alaska Airlines incident Some inconsistencies have come to light. These cast a questionable image not only on manufacturer Boeing and its quality assurance department, but also on the FAA. The authority is already under criticism due to the fatal crashes of two Boeing 737 Max 8s, which led to a lengthy worldwide flight ban. It was suggested to the public that they had been carefully checked and that Boeing had met all requirements. The recent quality deficiencies appear to be causing concern even for the FAA.

After the Alaska Airlines incident, in which a Boeing 737-Max-9 lost a blade during climb, under which there was an unused emergency exit, the FAA announced that all identical aircraft operating in the USA are deployed, take off or land there or use the airspace must be inspected unscheduled before re-operation. Until then, there is a ban on flights. This decision has now been expanded because the affected machines may no longer be used commercially until further instructions from the FAA. This applies regardless of whether the ordered inspection has already been carried out or not.

Some airlines, including United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, have gone public with quality defects. For example, loose screws and bolts were found. The extent appears to be safety-related, so the U.S. Civil Aviation Authority was forced to take action. The FAA now wants to take a closer look at the manufacturing process at Boeing and at suppliers. The NTSB assumes that the manuals must be revised in any case.

Things could generally become more complicated for the aircraft manufacturer in the future, because the FAA is also considering that Boeing will no longer be allowed to carry out safety certifications itself in the future. An independent body should be intervened for this purpose. This could also be a reaction to the fact that Boeing has a very inglorious history, particularly with regard to the Max series. It is currently unclear to what extent the recent quality defects and the stricter tests surrounding the Max-9 will also affect the Max-10 and Max-7, which have not yet been approved. Nobody wants to comment yet, but there are already numerous indications that the certification of the smallest and largest samples in this series will likely be delayed again.

The latest flight ban imposed by the FAA affects 171 aircraft registered in the United States of America. There are also some jets outside the USA that are identical in construction. It is the responsibility of the respective national authority or in the EU also the EASA to take over the EAD, to tighten or not.