UPDATEBoeing has halted deliveries of some 737 MAX aircraft after new problems were found with this type of aircraft. The American aircraft manufacturer said on Thursday that the defects found do not affect the flightworthiness of the aircraft.
A day earlier, supplier company Spirit AeroSystems, which makes the aluminum frame of the 737s, told Boeing that there is a problem with two fittings that attach the aircraft’s vertical tail to the rear of the fuselage.
“This is not an immediate flight safety concern and the fleet in operation can continue to fly safely,” Boeing said in a statement. The FAA has been notified of the issues and inspections and repairs to the aircraft are underway, according to Boeing. “We will provide additional information in the coming days and weeks as we better understand the supply implications.” The FAA says that “based on the facts and data presented by Boeing,” there is no “immediate safety concern.”
The defects were found in a considerable number of undelivered aircraft and aircraft stored at Boeing. According to a spokesman for the company, it is not yet possible to say exactly how many aircraft are involved, because the problems have only recently come to light.
The problems with the fittings mean another setback for Boeing. The company has been under a magnifying glass since two 737 MAX aircraft crashed one after the other in 2018 and 2019. The deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed a total of 346 people.
After that, the aircraft was grounded worldwide for a long time and Boeing had to make technical adjustments. The case has already cost the company more than $20 billion. The delivery of the larger 787 Dreamliner has also come to a standstill several times in the past three years due to production errors.
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