04:02 PM EDT, 06/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- The Federal Aviation Administration was "too hands off" in the supervision of Boeing ( BA ) before the midair door-blowout incident involving a 737 Max 9 aircraft of Alaska Airlines in January, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Thursday.

"The FAA should have had much better visibility into what was happening at Boeing ( BA ) before Jan. 5," Whitaker said at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing. "FAA's approach was too hands off, too focused on paper work audits and and not focused enough on inspections."

He said the FAA is now "shifting to a much more proactive approach" in the supervision of the company, with more safety inspectors deployed at Boeing ( BA ) facilities for a closer inspection and and monitoring of the production.

Whitaker vowed to "personally remain engaged" to ensure that the company implements the necessary changes following the incident and said he would visit Boeing's ( BA ) Charleston facility in South Carolina on Friday.

Boeing ( BA ) did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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