The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has identified incorrectly installed passenger seats on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets registered in the US, warning the issue could pose risks during emergency landings or evacuations.
The FAA said the proposed airworthiness directive would affect 453 aircraft and require operators to inspect and correct the affected seat assemblies. The agency warned that improperly installed seats could detach from their tracks under increased loads, turbulence or during an emergency landing, potentially injuring passengers and crew or blocking aisles during evacuation.
The issue was discovered after the FAA received a report that some passenger seat assemblies were not properly secured to seat tracks. Each Boeing 737 MAX aircraft could have up to 69 affected track-mounted seat assemblies, with repairs estimated to take around one working hour per assembly without requiring replacement parts.
Boeing said it had already issued guidance to operators on the matter in December 2025 and supported making the guidance mandatory.
“We support the FAA making that guidance mandatory,” a Boeing spokesperson said in an email.
The latest directive comes as Boeing continues efforts to strengthen production quality and increase aircraft output under chief executive officer Kelly Ortberg. The company has faced renewed scrutiny since early 2024 after a door-plug panel detached from a nearly new Alaska Air Boeing 737 MAX during flight, raising concerns over manufacturing standards.
The FAA has not specified when airlines must complete the corrective work, while foreign aviation regulators typically follow FAA directives when they apply to aircraft operated outside the US.
Reuters
