FAA Won’t Allow Boeing to Boost 737 MAX Production Yet, Administrator Says

The Federal Aviation Administration will likely keep Boeing’s current production cap in place for its 737 MAX model for a few more months as the company addresses safety concerns, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said on May 30. Mr. Whitaker made the announcement at a press conference after meeting with Boeing officials, including outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun. After the Jan. 5 incident when an Alaskan Airlines door panel blew out right after takeoff on a new 737 MAX 9, the FAA ordered Boeing to implement a comprehensive safety plan and instituted a production cap of 38 planes per month on the 737 MAX. The FAA administrator said he does not expect Boeing to fulfill those obligations in the next few months to allow increases in production for the MAX plane....