The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a deadline to Boeing, giving the company 90 days to come up with a plan to address its quality control problems. The announcement came after a meeting between FAA administrator Mike Whitaker and Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and other top company officials.

Critics of Boeing, including former senior manager Ed Pierson and the Foundation for Aviation Safety, have raised concerns about rushed production processes and design flaws in the Boeing 737 Max jets. Pierson highlighted an engine anti-icing system issue that pilots, like Captain Dennis Tajer of American Airlines, have had to address with Post-it notes to avoid catastrophic consequences.

Boeing had initially requested a safety exemption for new 737 Max models, the Max 7 and Max 10, which also exhibited the same design flaw. However, after an incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight, Boeing withdrew the request and committed to developing an engineering fix.

The FAA's directive follows a report by an external panel that identified a safety "disconnect" within Boeing and raised concerns about employee reluctance to report issues due to fears of retaliation. The agency requires Boeing's plan to incorporate the panel's findings, ongoing audits, and recent expert assessments.

Some critics, like Michael Stumo, who lost his daughter in a 2019 Max crash, remain skeptical of Boeing's promises to improve quality and safety. Stumo advised against flying on Boeing Max jets, urging caution despite the company's reassurances of change.