African airlines are among those impacted by a new directive from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which mandates fresh inspections of Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

The directive follows a mid-air incident involving a LATAM Airlines flight in March, where an uncommanded movement of the captain's seat led to a sudden dive, injuring over 50 passengers.

The FAA's airworthiness directive affects 158 US- registered airplanes and 737 planes worldwide. It requires airlines to inspect the captain's and first officer's seats on 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 models for missing or cracked rocker switch caps or cracked switch cover assemblies within 30 days.

According to the FAA, if any issues are identified, airlines must carry out the necessary corrective actions.

The directive may occasion service disruption as it comes at a time when African carriers are grappling with a shortage of spare parts, which has led to the grounding of some aircraft, occasioning a serious service interruption.

This directive is particularly significant for African carriers like Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways, which operate a sizable number of Boeing 787s.

The FAA noted that it had received five reports of similar issues with the captain and first officer seats on 787s, with the most recent report in June.

The FAA warned that uncommanded horizontal movement of an occupied seat could result in a rapid descent of the airplane, posing a serious risk of injury to passengers and crew.

This inspection requirement highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety and reliability of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet as it comes at a time when the plane maker is grappling with a couple of safety challenges following serious incidences.