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By David Shepardson
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Aviation Administration is working to streamline aircraft certification and strengthen oversight of Boeing in the aftermath of an in-flight emergency in January.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in an interview the agency is also restructuring how it approaches its broader aviation oversight after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in January.
Whitaker said he is reviewing the aircraft certification process.
"We're reviewing that to make sure we're getting the right stuff and we have the right tools to understand it, and maybe injecting ourselves earlier in the process to understand what's happening is going to be more effective," Whitaker said, adding the FAA is working to use "better technology" to help streamline the process.
At one point, Boeing hoped to get the MAX 7 certified in 2022 but has faced a series of issues. Boeing in January withdrew its request for a safety exemption to address an engine de-icing issue. Whitaker told Reuters he thought Boeing would submit a proposed de-icing fix as soon as this month.
Boeing declined to comment.
The MAX 7 must be certified before the FAA can certify the larger MAX 10. Delays have prompted airlines to push back delivery timetables. Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci told Reuters in September he does not expect to receive 737 MAX 10s until at least mid-2026.
The FAA has drastically boosted oversight of Boeing, moving away from being "too hands off" to more in-person inspections in what Whitaker calls a "permanent change."
"I think we've ramped up the level of oversight," he said. "The inspection points need to be focused on the key parts of that production process."
Whitaker revamped an agency committee on oversight to meet more often and include more senior officials. The FAA is moving to "continuously review our oversight models" for Boeing, airlines, air traffic controllers and others -- a new approach that "should give us a more agile oversight approach and prevent what may have been happening in the past."
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
