©Reuters. FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX planes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington, U.S., March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo
(Reuters) – The latest black eye for Boeing’s (N:) best-selling 737 MAX plane occurred in January, when a blown cabin panel forced an Alaska Airlines flight to make a crash landing. emergency. U.S. regulators briefly grounded some planes for safety checks, a less severe move than grounding all MAX family jets worldwide nearly five years ago following a pair of deadly crashes.
Here’s a timeline of recent problems affecting Boeing’s MAX planes:
OCTOBER 2018: A Lion Air MAX plane crashes in Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.
NOVEMBER 2018: The FAA and Boeing say they are evaluating the need for software or design changes to the 737 MAX jets following the Lion Air crash.
MARCH 2019: An Ethiopian Airlines MAX crashes, killing all 157 people on board. China’s aviation regulator becomes first in the world to ground the MAX, followed by others including the US Federal Aviation Administration.
APRIL 2019: FAA forms international team to review safety of 737 MAX. Boeing cuts monthly production by nearly 20%.
JULY 2019: Boeing posts largest quarterly loss ever.
SEPTEMBER 2019: Boeing’s board of directors creates a permanent safety board to oversee the development, production and operation of its planes.
OCTOBER 2019: Boeing fires Kevin McAllister, the top executive of its commercial aircraft division.
DECEMBER 2020: Company fires CEO Dennis Muilenburg following the two incidents.
JANUARY 2020: Boeing suspends 737 production, the largest assembly line shutdown in more than 20 years.
MAY 2020: Boeing resumes 737 MAX production at a “low pace.”
JUNE 2020: Boeing begins a series of long-delayed flight tests of its redesigned 737 MAX with regulators at the controls.
SEPTEMBER 2020: An 18-month investigation by a U.S. House of Representatives committee finds that Boeing failed in its design and development of the MAX, as well as its transparency with the FAA, and that the FAA failed in oversight and in certification.
NOVEMBER 2020: The US FAA lifts the grounding order, allowing the 737 MAX to fly again.
DECEMBER 2020: Congress passes legislation to reform how the FAA certifies new airplanes, including requiring manufacturers to disclose certain safety-critical information to the FAA.
JANUARY 2021: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency approves the return of the MAX to service in Europe.
MARCH 2021: China’s aviation regulator says major safety concerns with the MAX must be “adequately addressed” before conducting flight tests.
APRIL 2021: Boeing halts deliveries of the 737 MAX after electrical problems grounded part of the fleet.
NOVEMBER 2021: Current and former Boeing company directors reach a $237.5 million settlement with shareholders to resolve lawsuits over safety oversight of the 737 MAX.
OCTOBER 2022: The FAA tells Boeing that some key documents submitted as part of the 737 MAX 7 certification review are incomplete and others require reevaluation.
DECEMBER 2022: Congress agrees to extend a deadline for new standards for modern cockpit warnings resulting from 2020 legislation after intense lobbying from Boeing.
APRIL 2023: Boeing suspends deliveries of approximately 737 MAX aircraft to address a new supplier quality issue involving non-compliant fittings.
JULY 2023: Boeing’s first delivery of the 737 MAX 7 is postponed to 2024.
AUGUST 2023: Boeing identifies a new 737 MAX supplier quality issue involving improperly drilled holes in the aft pressurized bulkhead.
SEPTEMBER 2023: Boeing 737 MAX deliveries fall to lowest levels since August 2021.
DECEMBER 2023: Boeing makes its first direct delivery of a 787 Dreamliner to China since 2019, seen as a precursor to China potentially unlocking deliveries of the 737 MAX.
JANUARY 2024: A cabin explosion in mid-air forces Alaskan air (NYSE:) to perform an emergency landing of its recently acquired 737 MAX 9 aircraft, prompting the FAA to ground 171 of those jets and launch an investigation. The FAA also prevents Boeing from increasing production of the MAX, but lifts the grounding of the MAX-9s once inspections are completed.
FEBRUARY 2024: The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its preliminary report on the Alaska Air crash involving a Boeing 737 MAX jet. According to the investigation, four latches were missing from the door panel that fell from the plane during the flight.
MARCH 2024: Boeing said it is in preliminary talks to buy its former subsidiary Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:) as the company tries to take control of a sprawling crisis triggered by the Jan. 5 mid-air panel explosion. Spirit AeroSystems confirmed the negotiations with Boeing in a separate statement.