UPDATE 1-US FAA plans closer monitoring of 737 MAX 9 when it returns to flights

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration told Reuters on Friday that the agency plans "closer monitoring" of the 737 MAX 9 after the plane returns to service following a mid-air cabin blowout. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a telephone interview it is "pretty clear" the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 cabin blowout was a manufacturing issue, not a design problem, and vowed a comprehensive audit of Boeing production issues that will start with the 737 MAX 9 and extend to other planes as warranted by the data. "This has been going on for a while and whatever's happening isn't fixing the problem," Whitaker said, adding he would not approve the MAX 9 return to flights until the agency is convinced "there's no chance of this happening again."