The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed mandatory inspections of passenger seats on 453 Boeing 737 Max aircraft registered in the United States following reports that some seat assemblies have been installed incorrectly.The FAA said improperly installed seat assemblies could separate from the seat track during turbulence or emergency landing, potentially injuring passengers and crew or blocking the aisle and delaying evacuation, Reuters reported. “If this condition is not addressed, it could result in injury to passengers and crew during an emergency landing or obstruction of the path, slowing evacuation,” it said.The proposed airworthiness directive, issued Monday, comes after a report that some passenger seat assemblies were not properly secured to the seat tracks. Each aircraft can have 69 track-mounted passenger seat assemblies, with inspection and corrective work expected to take about an hour per seat assembly without the need for replacement parts, the agency said.“We support the FAA mandating that guidance,” a Boeing spokesperson said in an email.This directive applies only to US-registered aircraft, although aviation regulators in other countries often adopt similar FAA safety measures when applicable. The FAA has not yet specified a deadline for airlines to complete inspections.The move comes as Boeing continues efforts to improve manufacturing quality under CEO Kelly Ortberg following intense regulatory scrutiny after a door plug panel burst on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max during a flight in early 2024.A Boeing spokesperson said the company had already issued guidance to airlines on the issue in December 2025 and supports the FAA’s decision to make those recommendations mandatory.