FAA Warns Issue with Seats on Hundreds of Boeing Planes May Pose Danger to Passengers
The Federal Aviation Administration wants airlines to inspect seats on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX passenger jets, saying improperly installed cabin seats could pose a danger.
A report from Forbes said the directive could impact 31,000 seats on various airplanes.
In a proposed airworthiness directive published late Monday, the FAA said some seats are incorrectly installed in their tracks, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The order required seats on 453 Boeing 737-8 and 737-9 aircraft to be inspected.
“A track-mounted passenger seat assembly that is installed incorrectly can disengage from the seat tracks if there is an increased load, turbulence, or emergency landing,” the FAA said.
“This condition, if not addressed, could result in injury to passengers and crew during an emergency landing or could block the aisle, which could slow evacuation,” the agency added.
The inspection will cost airlines about $2.7 million, with any costs to re-install seats likely making the total higher.
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a new airworthiness directive that would require 453 Boeing 737 MAXs to be inspected after reports that certain passenger seat assemblies were not correctly installed in the seat tracks.
The FAA found that a track-mounted… pic.twitter.com/fgkRM8qOBj
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) July 27, 2026
More than 2,300 MAX jets are currently in operation, with 823 flown in America, according to Reuters.
The FAA order only covers those flown by U.S.-based airlines.
There could be as many as 69 track-mounted passenger seat assemblies on each 737 MAX, the FAA said.
Each inspection would take about one work hour. Another work hour would be required to fix assemblies that are improperly installed.
The FAA notice did not give a deadline for compliance.
A Boeing representative said it had already alerted airlines in December.
“We support the FAA making that guidance mandatory,” the representative said.
Boeing has battled quality issues that were revealed in early 2024 when a door plug came loose on an Alaska Air jet while it was in midair.
As noted by The Wall Street Journal, the Alaska Air incident led to a large-scale grounding of 737s and a proposed fine of more than $3 million for what the FAA termed “safety violations.”
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