A ban on crisis-hit Boeing increasing production of its best-selling 737 MAX planes is to continue amid ongoing safety concerns.
US regulators first introduced the restrictions in February – and have now announced they will continue for at least the “next few months”.
It comes after officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) held talks with outgoing chief executive Dave Calhoun and other senior figures at the company.
Boeing has been subjected to “enhanced oversight” by regulators after a chunk of fuselage blew out of an Alaska Airlines new 737 MAX 9 plane shortly after take-off.
Concerns have been heightened following a series of other incidents involving the company’s planes.
Image: Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX was forced to make an emergency landing with a hole in its fuselage. Pic: Reuters.Boeing has also had to face a string of claims from whistleblowers, including an allegation – which the firm has denied – that it had been “putting out defective planes“.
The FAA said it would continue with weekly meetings and other scrutiny of the company.
Administrator Mike Whitaker said he did not expect Boeing to win approval to increase production “in the next few months” and said it faced a “long road” to address safety issues.
He added that regulators would monitor quality and safety improvements at the firm “to give us a fundamental picture of whether they are in the right zone”.
Advertisement Image: Outgoing Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun. Pic: ReutersMr Whitaker added: “Regardless of how many planes Boeing builds, we need to see a strong and unwavering commitment to safety and quality that endures over time.
“This is about systemic change, and there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Boeing is said to be currently producing significantly fewer than the 38 737 MAXs per month it is permitted to by the FAA.
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The latest development may be viewed as a setback by airlines which are awaiting deliveries of new planes.
They include Ryanair, which previously complained that Boeing’s delays were a threat to its growth.
The budget operator warned in March that it would have to tweak some of its summer schedules because the manufacturer was only able to provide 40 out of 57 planned aircraft before the end of June.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said at the time he was “very disappointed” by the delays.
0:56 Moment plane loses tyre during take-offSky News has approached the airline for comment.
Mr Calhoun is due to leave Boeing by the end of the year as part of a broader shake-up in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident. His replacement is yet to be announced.
Boeing said it was working on an extensive improvement plan, including to workforce training.
“Many of these actions are underway and our team is committed to executing on each element of the plan,” Mr Calhoun said in a statement.