US Directs Airlines to Inspect Boeing 737 MAX Jets for Cracks

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has directed airlines to inspect Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes already in service after reports of cracks in the bodies of some older models.

• The regulator warned that undetected and unrepair cracks in the fuselage skin and bear strap at the forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout, could "adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane."
• It has estimated that inspections for the 471 planes in the US registry, and approximately 1,429 worldwide, would cost upto US$200,000 per inspection cycle, but did not provide cost estimates for repairs if cracks are found.
• Meanwhile, the US regulator has cleared the new 737-7 airplane, the smallest and longest-range member of the 737 MAX family, for commercial service.

"This issue has not been observed on the 737 MAX fleet, but Boeing extended the inspections to 737 MAX airplanes as the model shares a similar design and build process," Boeing said in a statement.

The Boeing 737 MAX has been under scrutiny for years, with another recent directive requiring inspections of seat assemblies after reports that some seats may have been installed incorrectly. The aircraft model was temporarily grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes, the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019 and the Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018, in which 346 people died.

It is still Boeing's most in-demand model, with an order book of more than 7,200 airplanes, of which more than 2,300 have been delivered through the end of June 2026. 

The newly certified 737-7 offers 135 to 160 seats (in a two-class configuration) while providing, at 3,800 nautical miles (7,040 km), about 10% more range potential than its siblings. It is designed for operators flying out of airports at high altitudes and hot climates.