Boeing 737 MAX faces fresh safety concern as FAA proposes seat inspections

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday that hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft may require inspections after passenger seats were found to have been installed incorrectly, Reuters reported.

The FAA warned that if left uncorrected, the issue could increase the risk of injuries to passengers and crew during an emergency landing and could slow evacuation. The proposed airworthiness directive would apply to 453 Boeing 737 MAX jets registered in the United States, although foreign regulators often adopt FAA directives.

Around 2,300 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are currently in service worldwide, including 823 in the US, according to aviation advisory and intelligence firm IBA.

The proposed directive comes as Boeing seeks to improve production quality under new CEO Kelly Ortberg following a series of manufacturing issues. The company has been under increased scrutiny since a door plug panel blew out of a recently delivered Alaska Airlines 737 MAX aircraft earlier this year.

According to the proposed directive, the FAA received reports that some passenger seat assemblies had been installed incorrectly in the seat tracks. During severe turbulence or an emergency landing, the seat assemblies could disengage if subjected to increased loads.

The FAA said each 737 MAX aircraft has up to 69 track-mounted passenger seats. Inspecting the seats is expected to take about one hour per aircraft, while any required repairs would take another hour and would not require additional parts. Airlines can assign multiple workers to inspect and repair seats simultaneously, thereby reducing the total maintenance time per aircraft.

The FAA has not specified a deadline for airlines to complete the inspections and repairs. Boeing issued guidance to airlines on the issue in December 2025, and a company spokesperson said it supports making the guidance mandatory.

The latest directive adds to the list of issues affecting the 737 MAX, which has faced repeated safety and manufacturing concerns since entering commercial service in 2017.

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