The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets after finding cracks in a structural component near the plane’s forward service door. The directive, issued this month, covers an estimated 471 US-registered Max 8, Max 9, and Max 8-200 aircraft, according to CNN’s reporting.
Inspectors found the cracks in a reinforcement panel located next to the front galley, on the right side of the aircraft. The FAA said in its order that undetected damage in that area could reduce the plane’s structural integrity over time, prompting the mandatory inspection window.
The warning arrived just days after a rare piece of good news for Boeing’s 737 program. On August 3, the FAA certified the 737 Max 7, the smallest variant in the family, clearing it for production after nearly a decade of review tied to the fallout from two fatal Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.
Bloomberg and CNBC both reported that the Max 7 certification reflects growing FAA confidence in Boeing’s quality and safety processes at its factories, following years of heightened regulatory scrutiny. Still, the Max 7 remains the slowest-selling jet in Boeing’s current lineup, making up less than 6 percent of the company’s Max order backlog through the middle of this year.
Airlines including Southwest have been waiting years for Max 7 deliveries to fill out their fleets. Southwest’s chief executive had previously said the airline expected certification to land sometime in the summer of 2026, a timeline that held.
The crack inspection order is a reminder that Boeing’s safety and manufacturing issues have not fully receded even as the company works to rebuild trust with regulators and airlines. Boeing has not said how long the inspections are expected to take across the affected fleet, or whether any cracks found so far required jets to be grounded. The FAA has not indicated whether the crack issue could delay Max 7 deliveries already scheduled for later this year.
