Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Aviation head to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, who has led a tougher enforcement policy against Boeing since a panel blew off a jetliner in January, said Thursday that he will step down next month, clearing the way for President-elect Donald Trump to name his choice to lead the agency. Mike Whitaker announced his pending resignation in a message to employees of the FAA, which regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers and manages the nation's airspace. He became the agency's administrator in October 2023. Since then, the challenges confronting Whitaker have included a surge in close calls between planes, a need for stricter oversight of Boeing. antiquated equipment and a shortage of air traffic controllers at a time of high consumer demand for air travel. The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public, Whitaker said in the message to employees. This has been the best and most ...

Boeing still not producing MAX planes after strike, says FAA administrator

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker this week met with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and toured Boeing's 737 plant in Renton, Washington, as it boosts oversight following the strike, which ended Nov 4

FAA will not require urgent 737 MAX engine action after bird strikes

FAA Corrective Action Review Board reviewed the CFM LEAP-1B engine bird strikes which led to smoke entering two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

Boeing crisis sparks US FAA to revamp safety programmes to avoid risks

FAA audits revealed a series of manufacturing and safety lapses at Boeing after a fuselage panel blew off a 737 Max jet shortly after takeoff in January

US FAA chief to testify before Congress on Sept 24 on Boeing quality plan

Boeing faces mounting scrutiny from Congress since a Jan. 5 mid-air emergency in a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9.

Boeing must be 'in the green' before 737 Max cap lifted, says FAA chief

The FAA capped output of Boeing's 737 Max at a rate of 38 per month in the wake of a January near-catastrophe, in which a door cover blew off during flight

FAA grounds SpaceX after Falcon 9 rocket falls over in flames at landing

SpaceX launches are on hold after a booster rocket toppled over in flames while landing Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the company's Falcon 9 rockets and ordered an investigation following the predawn accident off the Florida coast. No injuries or public damage were reported. It's too early to know how much impact this will have on SpaceX's upcoming crew flights, one private and the other for NASA. A billionaire's chartered flight was delayed just a few hours earlier because of a poor weather forecast. The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and got all 21 Starlink internet satellites to orbit. But the first-stage booster fell over in a fireball moments after landing on an ocean platform, the first such accident in years. It was the 23rd time this particular booster had launched, a recycling record for SpaceX. The FAA said it must approve SpaceX's accident findings and corrective action before the company can resume Falcon 9 launches.

Boeing unauthorised 737 work issue should have been caught earlier: NTSB

The NTSB's Homendy added there was no guarantee the door panel issue would not occur again

Troubles mount for Boeing amid whistleblower claims of lapses on 787 jets

The FAA has received more than 11 times as many Boeing whistleblower reports in the first five months of this year compared to all of 2023

Boeing to face FAA scrutiny for foreseeable future after mid-air blowout

The FAA will also keep closer tabs on other aerospace manufacturers with more active, in-person oversight to supplement the agency's audits, Whitaker said

737 MAX case: Boeing CEO to testify before US Senate panel on June 18

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in February barred Boeing from boosting 737 MAX production after a door panel blew out during a Jan 5 flight on a 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines

FAA to probe Boeing after workers in US falsified 787 inspection records

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into Boeing after the beleaguered company reported that workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records on certain 787 planes. Boeing said its engineers have determined that misconduct did not create "an immediate safety of flight issue". In an email to Boeing's South Carolina employees on April 29, Scott Stocker, who leads the 787 program, said a worker observed an irregularity in a required test of the wing-to-body join and reported it to his manager. After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed, Stocker wrote. Boeing notified the FAA and is taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates, Stocker said. No planes have been taken out of service, but having to perform the test out of order on planes will slow

FAA weighs curbing new routes for United Airlines after series of mishaps

The FAA already is suspending United's ability to approve and promote pilots to fly different aircraft models, two of the people said

FAA audit finds issues in Boeing 737 MAX production after midair blowout

In the wide-ranging investigation, Boeing failed a check which dealt with the component that blew off the jet, known as a door plug, the report said, citing an FAA presentation viewed by NYT

Boeing needs to cooperate with probe, says Buttigieg as pressure mounts

With Boeing facing multiple government investigations, the company needs to make a serious transformation around its safety and manufacturing quality, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday. The comments came one day after Buttigieg said the aircraft builder is under enormous scrutiny by his department since a panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max jetliner in midflight. Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into the Jan. 5 blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet. That followed the company's admission that it couldn't find records that the National Transportation Safety Board sought for work done on the panel at a Boeing factory. The Federal Aviation Administration, part of Buttigieg's department, is also investigating Boeing. Obviously we respect the independence of DOJ (the Department of Justice) and NTSB (the National Transportation Safety Board) doing their own work, Buttigieg told reporters Monday, "

FAA orders Boeing to halt further Max production increases amid blowout

The US Federal Aviation Administration said it informed Boeing that the agency wouldn't allow any further output increases, according to a statement late Wednesday

FAA may expand Boeing probe beyond Max 9 if problems found, says official

For now, the agency is focused on the mid-cabin door plugs on Max 9 aircraft like the one that blew off an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff on Jan. 5, according to FAA Administrator

Boeing asks airlines to inspect 737 MAX planes for possible loose hardware

Boeing has recommended airlines to conduct an inspection of their B737 Max fleet, after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance. In a statement, Boeing said the issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied. In India three airlines -- Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Air India Express -- have B737 Max planes in their fleet. Earlier on Thursday, the US aviation regulator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement, saying it was closely monitoring "targetted inspection," of Boeing 737 Max planes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system. "The issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending operators inspect their 737 MAX airplanes and inform us of any findings," Boeing said in the statement. The aircraft maker said it has informed the FAA and will continue to keep the regulator aware of the progress. Queries sent to Akasa

Boeing discovers new 737 Max defect, threatening its delivery target

The latest issue for Boeing's cash-cow jet isn't a safety threat, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday

United Airlines gets a handle on cancelled flights: CEO Scott Kirby

Air travellers could breathe a little easier on Monday, as a break in stormy weather and lighter schedules a day before the July 4 holiday helped airlines keep more flights moving on time. By late morning on the East Coast, fewer than 100 US flights had been cancelled, although 1,000 were late, according to FlightAware. United Airlines, the worst-performing US carrier for more than a week, laid out steps to improve, including reducing flights at its hub airport in Newark, New Jersey. CEO Scott Kirby said over the weekend that United is working with regional authorities to get more gates at the airport, but the airline will need to reduce its schedule in Newark to have more of a buffer, especially during thunderstorm season. Kirby continued to place much of the blame on the Federal Aviation Administration, which reduced the number of flights in and out of Newark a week ago. That caused United to cancel flights and left planes and crews stranded out of position. Nearly 2.7 millio