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The Texas attorney general is investigating a supplier of Boeing 737 parts

The Spirit AeroSystems logo is pictured on an unpainted 737 fuselage as Boeing's 737 factory teams hold the first day of a "Quality Stand Down" for the 737 program at Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington on January 25, 2024.
JASON REDMOND
/
AFP via Getty Images
The Spirit AeroSystems logo is pictured on an unpainted 737 fuselage as Boeing's 737 factory teams hold the first day of a "Quality Stand Down" for the 737 program at Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington on January 25, 2024.

The Texas attorney general has opened an investigation into a company that manufactures Boeing parts, it announced Thursday.

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. makes fuselages, or the bodies of planes, for some models of the Boeing 737 aircraft. Defects during the company's manufacturing process led to some of the high-profile mishaps that have occurred involving the planes in recent weeks, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleges.

Paxton's office will be requesting documents related to "the company's organization, conduct, and management," as well as its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices to examine "whether those commitments are unlawful or are compromising the company's manufacturing processes," it said. (A ban went into effect in Texas in January banning DEI programs from state colleges and universities.)

"The potential risks associated with certain airplane models are deeply concerning and potentially life-threatening to Texans," Paxton said. "I will hold any company responsible if they fail to maintain the standards required by the law and will do everything in my power to ensure manufacturers take passenger safety seriously."

In January, a door plug flew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane during a flight, leaving a hole in the fuselage. In March, the Federal Aviation Administration found Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. and Boeing failed to meet quality control standards several times.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ayana Archie
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

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