Boeing announced plans on Monday to increase quality inspections of its 737 MAX 9 aircraft following the failure of an emergency exit door panel on an Alaska Airlines flight last week. This comes in light of a series of manufacturing flaws that have tarnished the reputation of Boeing as the premier American aircraft manufacturer, prompting some airlines to hold off aircraft purchases or opt for its European rival, Airbus. The decision to enhance inspections was made after Federal regulators grounded the 737 MAX, and Boeing acknowledged that it has fallen short in quality assurance and controls.

The president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal, stated that the company is reevaluating its quality practices and will be bringing in airline customers and independent inspectors to review the aircraft as needed. The emergency exit door panel malfunction occurred when one of two door plugs on an Alaska MAX 9 blew out, causing the cabin to lose pressure.

The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, and no serious injuries were reported. In the wake of this incident, the Federal Aviation Administration announced plans to investigate whether the manufacturer failed to ensure the safety of the fuselage panel that blew off in accordance with approved design regulations. This recent mishap is the latest in a series of troubles for Boeing, including the two crashes of MAX 8 planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 that resulted in a total of 346 deaths. The incident has led to worldwide grounding of the Max 8 and Max 9 planes for nearly two years, and various manufacturing flaws have at times delayed deliveries of MAX jets and the 787 model. Last month, Boeing also instructed airlines to inspect their MAX jets for a loose bolt in the rudder-control system.