Hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets face cabin safety risks and assembly flaws, FAA warns

The US FAA proposed an airworthiness directive on Monday requiring inspections of seats on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets registered in the US, citing incorrect installation that could injure passengers or block evacuation. The directive applies to 453 US-registered jets; nearly 2,300 MAX jets are in service globally. The issue stems from production quality problems first revealed in early 2024 when a door-plug panel blew out of an Alaska Air 737 MAX in flight.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed an airworthiness directive on Monday requiring inspections of passenger seat assemblies on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets registered in the US. The directive applies to 453 aircraft and stems from reports that some seat assemblies were not correctly installed in seat tracks, potentially causing them to disengage under increased load, turbulence, or during an emergency landing. If not corrected, the seats could injure passengers and crew or block the aisle and slow evacuation. The FAA estimates each of up to 69 track-mounted seat assemblies per plane would take one hour to inspect and one hour to fix, with no parts required. The agency did not specify a compliance timeline. Boeing issued guidance to operators about the issue in December 2025 and supports making it mandatory. The directive comes as Boeing works to improve production quality under CEO Kelly Ortberg, following the 2024 door-plug blowout on an Alaska Air 737 MAX that exposed broader assembly flaws. Nearly 2,300 737 MAX jets are in service worldwide, including 823 in the US.