Joint statement of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-LA), and Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-TN) on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) announced ungrounding of the Boeing MAX-9 aircraft:
“Safety is and always will be our highest priority for the aviation system. The United States and the FAA remain the gold standard in aviation safety, and it’s important that we advance and uphold that standard.
“Yesterday’s approval of the MAX 9 inspection instructions via the Multi Operator Message is a positive step in getting these planes back in the air safely, ensuring our carriers have what they need to provide safe and reliable air service throughout the nation, and restoring passenger confidence.
“We support this decision by the FAA, as well as their announced audit of Boeing’s quality control and safety practices and investigation into Boeing’s 737 MAX 9 manufacturing, with more potential oversight actions to follow. These actions are designed to ensure that the highest manufacturing and quality control standards are maintained throughout our aviation ecosystem.
“Federal safety experts at the FAA and the NTSB briefed us, and we will continue to closely monitor their actions and investigations. In the meantime, the Senate should immediately pass our bipartisan House FAA reauthorization bill, which would ensure that the FAA and NTSB have the authorities and resources they need to continue this important work and make critical improvements to aviation safety that directly address many of the issues we’re seeing.”