US aviation regulators have opened a formal investigation of Boeing following last week’s accident on one of its passenger jets, escalating a crisis of confidence unfolding at the US plane-maker.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the decision on Thursday, saying the company’s “manufacturing practices need to comply with the high safety standards they’re legally accountable to meet”. The investigation is a result of the midair blowout of a so-called door plug on a 737 Max 9 jet operated by Alaska Airlines on January 5.
