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

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]