The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an airworthiness directive requiring inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets due to the potential for cracking in the aircraft's fuselage structure. The directive arrives amid sustained regulatory scrutiny of Boeing's manufacturing and quality-control processes following the January 2024 Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door plug blowout incident, after which the FAA capped Boeing's 737 production rate increases until the agency is satisfied with the manufacturer's quality improvements.

The directive applies to certain Boeing 737 Max 8, Max 9, and Max 8-200 airplanes, affecting an estimated 471 U.S.-registered aircraft. The 737 Max is Boeing's highest-volume commercial jet program, operated by major U.S. carriers including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines. Airline operators are required to inspect the fuselage skin and perform additional inspections or repairs as necessary.

"This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the bear strap at the forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout," the directive states. "The FAA is issuing this AD to address cracks in the fuselage skin and bear strap, which may lead to the inability of the principal structural element to sustain limit loads and adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane."

The directive takes effect on September 10, 2026.

Boeing told FOX Business that the issue was first identified on certain 737 Next Generation aircraft and has not been observed on the 737 Max fleet. The company said it extended the inspections to Max aircraft because the models share a similar design and manufacturing process. The 737 Next Generation, which entered service in the late 1990s, remains in widespread commercial use and predates the Max, which began deliveries in 2017.

"Boeing identified and reported this issue and has been working with operators on it over the past six years," the company said.

Boeing notified 737 Next Generation operators about the issue in 2019, and the FAA mandated inspections for those aircraft in 2021.

"The FAA airworthiness directive published today mandates the inspections, as it did for the 737 Next Generation. We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers," Boeing stated.

The manufacturer noted that the inspections provide multiple opportunities to detect and correct possible cracks before they exceed a critical length. Boeing has also conducted an engineering analysis to determine the root cause and is implementing manufacturing changes intended to prevent the condition.

"Boeing is introducing changes to the manufacturing process that address the root cause of the unsafe condition on in-production airplanes," the FAA directive noted.

The directive is the latest in a series of FAA oversight actions targeting the 737 Max program. The aircraft was grounded worldwide from March 2019 through late 2020 following two fatal crashes — Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 — tied to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Subsequent scrutiny has extended to production quality across Boeing's commercial airplane operations.

Source: Fox Business