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FAA Finalizes Inspections for 471 Boeing 737 MAX Jets

The rule mandates scheduled checks of the fuselage skin near the forward‑galley 'bear strap' and requires any detected cracks to be repaired before a plane returns to service.

Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are assembled at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington, on June 25, 2024.
FILE - The logo for Boeing appears on a screen above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
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Overview

  • The Federal Aviation Administration finalized the airworthiness directive on Thursday and set the rule to take effect on September 10, 2026.
  • The directive applies to certain 737‑8, 737‑9 and 737‑8200 (MAX 8-200) airplanes, covering about 471 U.S.-registered jets and an estimated 1,429 aircraft worldwide.
  • Operators must conduct visual and detailed inspections of the fuselage skin and the forward service‑door reinforcement known as the 'bear strap' on a schedule set by each airplane’s usage, with repairs required before return to service.
  • The action was prompted by cracks found on older 737 Next‑Generation planes but the FAA says no cracks have been found on the MAX fleet so far, and Boeing says it has worked with operators since 2019 and is changing manufacturing processes for new builds.
  • The order widens earlier NG inspection rules and follows a November 2025 proposal and recent FAA attention to other MAX issues, creating added maintenance tasks for airlines and ongoing regulatory scrutiny of Boeing’s production and quality controls.