The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that the seats on hundreds of U.S.-registered Boeing 737 MAX airliners are improperly installed and need to be repaired. The agency said that if repairs are not carried out, in the event of an emergency landing, these seats may cause injuries to passengers and crew, or block the aisle, thereby delaying the evacuation process. The proposed airworthiness directives issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration on Monday will apply to 453 US registered airliners. This agency has jurisdiction over American Airlines only, but foreign regulators generally follow the instructions of the US Federal Aviation Administration where applicable. When the draft directive was introduced, Boeing was working to improve production quality and increase production under the leadership of CEO Otterberg. At the beginning of 2024, an almost brand new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX airliner had a hatch block falling off during flight, which revealed production quality issues. The US Federal Aviation Administration stated in its airworthiness directive proposal that the agency received reports that some passenger seat assemblies were not properly installed on seat rails. According to the FAA, this means that these components may fall off the seat rails in the event of increased load, uneven airflow, or an emergency landing. “If this issue is not addressed, it could cause injuries to passengers and crew during emergency landings, or block aisles, thereby delaying evacuation,” the agency added. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, each 737 MAX aircraft may have up to 69 rail passenger seat components. Repairing each component is expected to take one working hour, and there is no need to replace any parts. The agency did not say how quickly the airline needed to resolve the issue.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that the seats on hundreds of U.S.-registered Boeing 737 MAX airliners are improperly installed and need to be repaired. The agency said that if repairs are not carried out, in the event of an emergency landing, these seats may cause injuries to passengers and crew, or block the aisle, thereby delaying the evacuation process. The proposed airworthiness directives issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration on Monday will apply to 453 US registered airliners. This agency has jurisdiction over American Airlines only, but foreign regulators generally follow the instructions of the US Federal Aviation Administration where applicable. At the time the draft directive was introduced, Boeing was working to improve production quality and increase production under the leadership of CEO Otterberg. At the beginning of 2024, an almost brand new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX airliner had a hatch block falling off during flight, which revealed production quality issues. The US Federal Aviation Administration stated in its airworthiness directive proposal that the agency received reports that some passenger seat assemblies were not properly installed on seat rails. According to the FAA, this means that these components may fall off the seat rails in the event of increased load, uneven airflow, or an emergency landing. “If this issue is not addressed, it could cause injuries to passengers and crew during emergency landings, or block aisles, thereby delaying evacuation,” the agency added. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, each 737 MAX aircraft may have up to 69 rail passenger seat components. Repairing each component is expected to take one working hour, and there is no need to replace any parts. The agency did not say how quickly the airline needed to resolve the issue.