The action plan is the latest in a series of moves by the F.A.A. to push for safety improvements throughout Boeing during a tumultuous year for the company.
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Since a door panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines jet in January, the Federal Aviation Administration has taken a much more aggressive oversight approach to Boeing than it had in past years.
Boeing’s top executives delivered a plan to improve quality and safety to the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday, vowing to address systemic issues that have damaged the company’s reputation and put the aircraft manufacturer at the center of several federal investigations.
Boeing detailed these and other steps during a three-hour meeting with the F.A.A.’s administrator, Mike Whitaker, where the company submitted a “comprehensive action plan” that the regulator ordered in February.
Mr. Whitaker had given Boeing 90 days to develop a plan to make sweeping safety improvements after a midcabin panel known as a door plug blew out of a 737 Max 9 jet flying at about 16,000 feet on Jan. 5. No one was seriously injured during the flight.
The F.A.A. said in a statement on Thursday that “senior” leaders from the agency would “meet with Boeing weekly to review their performance metrics, progress, and any challenges they’re facing in implementing the changes.”
Boeing was also required to address findings, from an expert panel convened by the F.A.A. last year, that revealed persistent issues with the company’s safety culture. Mr. Whitaker said Boeing had accepted all the recommendations the panel made in the report.
“We need to see a strong and unwavering commitment to safety and quality that endures over time,” Mr. Whitaker said during a news conference on Thursday. “This is about systemic change, and there’s a lot of work to be done.”
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Source: nytimes.com