Analysis: New Boeing 787 inspections signal tougher FAA oversight

A US FAA decision to bring in-house final checks on four Boeing Co 787 jets is the latest signal of the agency’s tougher scrutiny of the embattled US airplane manufacturer. The FAA said late Wednesday it was taking “a number of corrective actions” to address multiple production issues on the advanced carbon-composite twin-aisle aircraft. These include structural integrity flaws and potential safety hazards, it said. “One of the actions is retaining the authority to issue (Airworthiness Certificates) for four specific aircraft,” it said. “We can extend the AC retention to other aircraft if we see the need.” The FAA told Boeing of its decision in a January letter. The move comes as the planemaker has faced tougher scrutiny in the wake of two crashes involving its 737 MAX jet that killed 346 people, triggering a 20-month safety ban that US regulators lifted last November.<br/>