by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:35 PM ET, Tue July 28, 2026
Hundreds of U.S.-based Boeing 737 MAX jets may be flying with seats that were incorrectly installed and need to be fixed.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a directive on Monday that the seats could potentially cause injury to passengers or crew during an emergency landing if the issue is not addressed. The seats also have the potential to block the aisle and slow down the evacuation process, according to an FAA airworthiness directive.
The FAA’s statement follows a report that found that certain passenger seats were not assembled correctly into seat tracks.
Seats in impacted planes that were not properly installed in the seat tracks have the potential to disengage if there’s an increased load, turbulence or an emergency landing, according to the FAA.
The issue in question impacts about 453 jets that are registered in the United States. And while the FAA only regulates U.S. registered aircraft, other countries typically follow FAA directives when necessary. Worldwide, there are about 2,300 737 MAX jets in operation. That figure includes a total of 823 that are registered in the United States, Reuters reported.
Repairing impacted seats could cost millions
Impacted Boeing MAX 737 planes could have as many as 69 track-mounted seat assemblies onboard. It’s estimated that it would take about one hour for those seats to be inspected and another hour per seat to fix the assembly. No new parts would be required.
In order to resolve the situation more quickly, airlines may have multiple employees inspect the seats at the same time. However, the FAA directive does not provide a specific timeline within which airlines must remedy the issue.
The cost to correct the issue is expected to cost operators up to $2.6 million, according to the FAA directive.
This is not the first challenge Boeing MAX planes has faced this summer. In June, the FAA issued a directive regarding the risk of the plane's cabin overheating.
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