A federal watchdog on Friday criticized the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of Boeing airplane production, saying it did not have an effective system to oversee the US plane maker’s individual manufacturing facilities.
The transportation department’s office of inspector general said in a report the FAA’s current audit processes “are not comprehensive enough to adequately identify key discrepancies and noncompliances within the Boeing production line” and said the FAA has not addressed longstanding weaknesses in Boeing’s oversight of suppliers despite long-known risks.
Boeing’s corporate troubles continue to mount as it fails to resolve a strike by workers, struggles to win back industry faith over some of its planes and systems after a series of crashes and incidents and had to bring back its spacecraft from the International Space Station while leaving its astronaut crew behind because of safety concerns.
The FAA’s oversight of Boeing has received new scrutiny after a door plug missing key bolts blew off a new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet at 16,000 feet in January, prompting the justice department to open a criminal investigation.
The report issued 16 recommendations. The FAA said it agreed with all of them and “is committed to continuously improving our oversight processes”.
The FAA added it “is currently conducting a comprehensive, systemwide review of our oversight models”. The report said the FAA had not been able to resolve allegations of undue pressure on Boeing employees acting on FAA’s behalf in a timely fashion because it had not enforced requirements that Boeing provide sufficient information on the allegations. Boeing did not immediately comment.
The report that reviewed oversight of the Boeing 737 and 787 said the FAA “has yet to move from a reactive approach focused on addressing individual manufacturing issues to a more proactive, data-driven model to identify and address risk within Boeing’s manufacturing processes at all levels”.
A series of reports in recent years has raised concerns about the FAA’s oversight of Boeing. Last month, a US Senate panel investigating Boeing’s culture faulted oversight by the FAA, citing documents obtained in an ongoing investigation.
The FAA administrator, Mike Whitaker, said last month he would revamp its own safety management program. He said previously the agency was “too hands off” in oversight of Boeing. He took the unprecedented step of barring Boeing from expanding 737 Max production until they have made significant quality improvements.
Guardian staff contributed reporting