Hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft registered in the United States may require inspections due to concerns that incorrectly installed seats pose a safety risk, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Monday.
The FAA warned that improperly fitted seats could injure passengers and crew members during an emergency landing or obstruct the aisle, hindering evacuation procedures. The agency's proposed airworthiness directive would apply to 453 jets registered in the U.S.
The FAA stated it received a report that some passenger seat assemblies were not correctly installed in the seat tracks. This could lead to assemblies disengaging from the seat tracks under increased load, turbulence, or during an emergency landing.
Inspecting each track-mounted passenger seat assembly is estimated to take one work hour, with an additional hour to fix each if needed, requiring no new parts. Boeing issued guidance to operators regarding this issue in December 2025 and supports the FAA making that guidance mandatory.