WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The head of the Federal

Aviation Administration said Tuesday the agency must ensure the

planemaker's safety processes are adequate before it will lift

its 737 MAX production cap.

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said he raised the issue

with Boeing's ( BA ) new chief executive Kelly Ortberg in their

first conversation and wants to ensure the planemaker follows

through on its quality turnaround plan.

"There have been comprehensive plans before, so I think the

goal now is we really need to make sure that that's executed,"

Whitaker said at an industry conference. "We've capped

production -- that was my first conversation with the new CEO.

We need to make sure the safety metrics are exactly where they

need to be to grow."