FAA orders crack inspections on nearly 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has ordered operators to inspect hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft after cracks were discovered in a structural reinforcement near the forward service door.

The new airworthiness directive applies to an estimated 471 U.S.-registered Boeing 737 MAX 8, MAX 9 and MAX 8-200 aircraft. The affected area is located around the forward right-hand service door, adjacent to the aircraft’s front galley.

According to the FAA, undetected cracking in the reinforcement could weaken the fuselage structure and reduce the aircraft’s overall structural integrity.

Airlines will be required to inspect the affected area according to intervals determined by each aircraft’s age and utilisation. Any cracks found must be repaired before the aircraft is returned to service.

The FAA has not ordered the aircraft to be grounded, saying the prescribed inspection schedule provides sufficient opportunities to identify damage before it reaches a critical level. The directive will take effect on 10 September 2026.

Boeing has already modified its production process to prevent the problem on newly manufactured aircraft, the regulator said.

The directive is the latest in a series of inspection requirements affecting the 737 family. In 2019, regulators ordered inspections of several older-generation Boeing 737 variants after cracks were found in structural components connecting the fuselage and wings.

The FAA also recently proposed inspections of seat assemblies on more than 450 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft over concerns that some seats may have been installed incorrectly.

Boeing and the 737 MAX programme have remained under close regulatory scrutiny since a door plug separated from an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in January 2024. Investigators later determined that four bolts intended to secure the panel had been missing when the aircraft was delivered.