FAA Alerts Airlines on Seat Installation Risks for Hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX Jets

Production quality problems were revealed in early 2024 when a door-plug panel blew out of a nearly new Alaska Air 737 MAX in flight.

A Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 passenger aircraft, operated by Europe's leading low-cost airline Ryanair, takes off from Il Caravaggio International Airport on July 11, 2026 in Orio al Serio, near Bergamo, Italy.

(photo credit: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)

ByREUTERS

JULY 28, 2026 08:40

The US Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday that seats installed on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft registered in the United States may need checks to confirm proper mounting and potential repairs.

Without fixes, the seats risk causing harm to passengers and crew in an emergency landing or obstructing aisles during evacuation, according to the agency.

The FAA's proposed airworthiness directive from Monday covers 453 jets registered domestically. While the agency oversees only US carriers, international regulators often adopt similar FAA guidance when relevant.

Around 2,300 737 MAX aircraft operate globally, with 823 based in the US, based on data from aviation advisory firm IBA.

This proposed rule arrives while Boeing continues efforts to enhance manufacturing standards and increase production under CEO Kelly Ortberg.

Production quality problems revealed in 2024

Production quality problems were revealed in early 2024 when a door-plug panel blew out of a nearly new Alaska Air 737 MAX in flight.

The FAA noted in its proposal that it had received information indicating some passenger seat units were improperly secured to the seat tracks.

Such improper installation could allow the units to detach from the tracks during higher loads, turbulence, or emergency landings, the FAA explained.

Each 737 MAX can have as many as 69 track-mounted passenger seat units, with inspections estimated at one work hour and fixes taking another hour per unit without needing replacement parts, the FAA stated. Carriers could deploy several staff at once to speed up checks across the aircraft.

The agency did not specify a timeline for completing corrections.

A Boeing representative noted that the company provided operators with guidance on the matter in December 2025.

"We support the FAA making that guidance mandatory," the representative stated in an email.