Boeing has discovered new problems with the fuselage of the 737 MAX aircraft – Kommersant

Boeing discovered that some 737 MAX aircraft had incorrectly drilled rivet holes. This will require additional inspection of the aircraft and elimination of non-compliance with technical requirements, reports Bloomberg.

Boeing Chief Commercial Officer Stan Deal said in a letter to employees that these were aircraft that were assembled for Boeing by a third-party contractor. Mr. Diehl did not specify the name of the company. However, the problem has already been recognized by Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier to Boeing. Spirit employees will have to resolve the discrepancy on about 50 planes that have not yet been delivered to airlines. At the same time, according to Mr. Deal, the identified defect “is not an immediate flight safety problem, and all Boeing 737 operators can continue to safely operate” the aircraft.

On January 6, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 en route from Portland to Ontario made an emergency landing at the departure airport due to a fallen emergency exit hatch plug. Following this, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended operation of selected Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for inspection purposes.

January 8 FAA approved an inspection procedure for Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, after which, in the absence of malfunctions and non-compliance with safety requirements, airlines will be able to resume flights on these aircraft. Then the regulator tightened requirements for Boeing and later the FAA informed company that will not allow the expansion of production of the 737 MAX aircraft.

Presenting its fourth quarter 2023 financial report, Boeing statedwhich will not yet make a forecast for 2024 due to the incident with the Alaska Airlines plane and subsequent restrictions from regulators.

Read about how Boeing is trying to regain the trust of airlines after the incident with a falling hatch plug. “With the Doors Wide Open”.

Kirill Sarkhanyants