Boeing says a new 737 Max flaw will slow airplane deliveries

Boeing
said
a
new
manufacturing
flaw
on
its
best-selling
737
Max
will
delay
deliveries
of
its
best-selling
aircraft,
the
latest
setback
as
the
company
tries
to
hand
over
more
planes.

The
company
said
it
found
fastener
holes
on
the
aft
pressure
bulkhead
on
some
737
planes
were
improperly
drilled.


Spirit
Aerosystems,
which
makes
the
fuselages,
said
that
because
it
“uses
multiple
suppliers
for
the
aft
pressure
bulkhead,
only
some
units
are
affected.”

“This
issue
will
impact
near-term
737
deliveries
as
we
conduct
inspections
to
determine
the
number
of
airplanes
affected,
and
complete
required
rework
on
those
airplanes,”
Boeing
said.
It
will
continue
delivering
737
Maxes
that
are
not
affected
by
the
issue.

The
defect
is
the
latest
in
a

string
of
manufacturing

flaws
Boeing
has
disclosed
on
the
Max
and
in
other
programs
while
it
tries
to
ramp
up
production
to
meet
strong
demand
from
airlines
short
on
planes
during
a
travel

boom.
Last
month,
the
company
said
it
is
transitioning
to
a
production
rate
of
38
a
month
from
31.

Boeing
didn’t
say
whether
the
new
issue
would
change
its

forecast
to
deliver
between
400
and
450
Max
jets
this
year.

Spirit
Aerosystems
said
it
would
continue
to
deliver
fuselages
to
Boeing.

“We
are
working
closely
with
our
customer
to
address
any
impacted
units
within
the
production
system
and
address
any
needed
rework,”
Spirit
Aerosystems
said
in
a
statement.
“Based
upon
what
we
know
now,
we
believe
there
will
not
be
a
material
impact
to
our
delivery
range
for
the
year
related
to
this
issue.”

This
year
through
July,
Boeing
handed
over

309
planes
to
customers,
behind
the
381
rival
Airbus
planes
delivered
in
the
same
period.

The
company
said
the
issue,
reported
earlier
by

The
Air
Current,
was
not
related
to
flight
safety
and
that
airlines
can
continue
flying
the
planes.
Boeing
added
that
it
has
notified
the
Federal
Aviation
Administration.

Boeing
shares
were
down
about
3%
in
after-hours
trading.