Boeing will have to check the oxygen masks on more than 2,500 of its planes

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a recall of 2,612 Boeing aircraft in the U.S. to ensure that passenger oxygen masks are functional in an emergency. The order affects the 737-8, 9, 8200, 700, 800, and 900ER series of aircraft, according to a statement from the federal agency responsible for ensuring air transport safety.

The FAA said airlines operating these aircraft must ensure that the planes’ oxygen generators “are in the proper position” and correct any problems they may encounter.

Worried that oxygen generators could fail

Inspections and repairs must be carried out within a maximum period of 120 or 150 days, depending on the configuration of the aircraft.

The FAA fears the possibility that oxygen generators could fail during a depressurization event, so it decided to act immediately, without the usual 30-day comment period.

2,612 US aircraft

This measure will affect approximately 2,612 aircraft in the United States, and airlines will be required to carry out necessary inspections and repairs immediately.

The FAA order comes hours after Boeing agreed to plead guilty to deceiving the agency before the company’s 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019, resulting in design flaws in its aircraft. The two accidents killed 346 people.

The agreement means Boeing will avoid trial in exchange for pleading guilty to fraud in the certification of the planes, paying a fine of $244 million and investing $455 million in safety improvement programs.

Supervision for three years

An independent monitor will be appointed to oversee Boeing’s safety and quality procedures for three years as part of the settlement. However, the settlement only covers irregularities committed by Boeing before the accidents,

Meanwhile, the families of those killed in the two accidents were demanding $24.8 billion in compensation and fines from Boeing.

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