453 Boeing 737 MAX Jets Face Problems

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has flagged another concern on the 737 MAX with Boeing, with the passenger seats front and centre of attention.

A new proposed airworthiness directive (AD) encompasses 453 MAX jets, with how seats are attached to the cabin floor a cause for concern; the risks are sufficient to warrant the AD, but not an emergency airworthiness directive.

What The FAA Is Saying About The 737 MAX

On 27 July, 2026, the FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking for a new AD covering the 737‑8, 737‑9 and high‑density 737‑8200 variants provided by Boeing.

The trigger followed a Special Attention Requirements Bulletin published by Boeing in December 2025, which, through the planemaker’s own diligence and inspections, alerted regulators to problems surrounding the installation of track-mounted passenger seat assemblies.

While not on all 737 MAX aircraft produced, the FAA says the aft fitting shear plungers, which are components designed to lock seat assemblies into their seat tracks, were not correctly lowered and thus were not able to engage as intended fully.

When plungers are not engaged and increased loads from turbulence, hard landings, or even an in-flight emergency occur, there is a risk that the entire seat assembly will disengage from the tracks, which has prompted the FAA to take further action.

Because this is not a simple one-aircraft issue, Boeing’s bulletin, which the FAA reviewed, concluded that this problem is likely to exist and could also develop on other aircraft of the same design, meaning the AD covers hundreds of planes instead of a small batch.

In the notice, the FAA said that the condition, if not addressed, could result in injury to crew or passengers aboard the aircraft during instances such as an emergency landing. Furthermore, if disengaged, this could block the aisle and slow an evacuation. While more extreme, these are common for any ADs; the worst-case scenarios justify the need to inspect.

What Would Need To Happen On The 737 MAX

Under the proposal put forward by the Federal Aviation Administration, operators would be required to inspect each seat assembly, fittings, and shear plungers to verify not just that the installation was correct, but that there was visible engagement with the tracks.

Additionally, the regulator would want the rectification of any assemblies where the plungers were determined to either not be fully lowered or not be engaged. That would include a scope covering the reinstallation of hardware aligning with the bulletin Boeing put forward on the matter.

The FAA’s cost assumes an $85-per-seat assembly figure and any corrective installation work for U.S. operators; that translates to an inspection cost that can rise to $2.65 million, excluding downtime or other factors.

Boeing says that some or all of the costs may be covered under warranty, if applicable, when speaking with operators and informing the FAA. This, however, is still a directive in the proposal stage, with comments needed from operators, the public, and Boeing itself until 10 September 2026, when a final ruling can be made if deemed necessary.

This seat track issue isn’t a flaw in the 737 MAX system like MCAS. The FAA has, over time, issued many seat-related ADs to aircraft across many programs, whether flightcrew seat locks, track hardware, or other related fittings. While every AD must be taken seriously, proposed or issued, they are mostly manageable and are intended to prevent the worst-case scenario.