In yet another setback to troubled aircraft maker Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an airworthiness notice on Friday for 2,612 of the company’s aircraft registered there.
This happened after a passenger got trapped in a bathroom during a flight since the door had a broken latch, making them unable to open the door, according to a Business Insider report.
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On top of this, flight attendants also couldn’t open the bifold door. As a result, the pilots had to make an “unscheduled landing” since a passenger trapped in a bathroom could be at risk of serious injury in an “otherwise survivable emergency event” like severe turbulence or a medical emergency.
How much will this cost Boeing?
This can be a costly ordeal. The FAA estimates up to $3.4 million in expenses, which includes labor and new latches worth up to $481 each, as per the report.
Some or all of the costs could be covered under warranty, meaning they would be borne by Boeing.
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The issue affects up to three-quarters of the 3,461 planes Boeing delivered to US customers, with the FAA’s notice stating that it applies to certain 737-700, 737-800, 737-900, 737-900ER, 737 Max 8, and 737 Max 9 aircraft, according to the report.
The FAA has given stakeholders a deadline until May 27 to respond to the directive.
This however, is not the first time that bathroom issues led to a flight diversion. For instance, Air India passengers went through a nine-hour flight to nowhere last month with the New Delhi-bound plane turning back to Chicago because most of its toilets stopped working after a passenger tried to flush bags, rags, and clothes.
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Similarly in February 2024, eight of the nine bathrooms on a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Los Angeles stopped working, forcing the plane to make a U-turn over the Atlantic Ocean, according to the report.
