The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Wednesday that the first 40 inspections of Boeing (NYSE:BA) 737 MAX 9 airplanes have been completed.
On Friday, the FAA said 40 out of 171 grounded planes had to be reinspected before the agency contemplates any further steps in the process of returning the 737-MAX 9 planes to service. It is also investigating Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines, including those involving subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR).
The FAA will now "thoroughly review the data" from the inspections before deciding on the next steps regarding whether it is safe to allow the MAX 9s to resume flying.
"All 737-9 MAX aircraft with door plugs will remain grounded pending the FAA's review and final approval of an inspection and maintenance process that satisfies all FAA safety requirements," the regulatory body said.
They added that the safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the aircraft to service.
Boeing shares are up over 2% at the time of writing on Wednesday.