Boeing pauses deliveries for some 737 MAXs amid glitch in supply chain

Airplane maker Boeing has announced plans to halt the deliveries of some 737 MAXs. Boeing is dealing with a new supplier problem by Spirit AeroSystems, with the issue dating back to 2019.

Boeing halts deliveries for some 737 MAXs

The issue will likely have a notable impact on a “significant” number of 737 MAX airplanes yet to be delivered. These airplanes are either in the production stage or in storage. The issue could hamper the delivery of the 737 MAX in the short term.

Boeing shares are down by 6.22% pre-market, while the shares of Spirit AeroSystems have fallen by 14.75% pre-market. The issue will significantly affect many of the 737 MAX family of airplanes, such as the MAX 7, MAX 8, and MAX 8200 airplanes. It will also affect the P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.

The issue revolves around two fittings that link the aft fuselage and the vertical rail. The airplane maker said that these features were not installed correctly by Spirit before being sent to Boeing. Some versions of the Boeing aircraft, such as the MAX 9, rely on fittings made by multiple suppliers, and these were installed correctly.

Boeing said that Spirit reached out to the airplane maker on the issue with installations. Despite only being alerted recently, the issue is believed to date back to 2019, indicating that it might have affected a large fleet of aircraft.

Boeing has not issued a statement on whether the issue will force the company to roll back plans to boost the production of the 737s this year. Boeing announced that it plans to produce upwards of 400 MAXs this year. The company was on track to achieve this, having delivered 111 MAXSs in Q1. The monthly MAX production was initially expected to reach 38 aircrafts in June.

Boeing reaches out to FAA

The company has said that the issue in question has nothing to do with the safety of flights, adding that in-service planes would remain operational. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement saying that it had approved the assessment made by Boeing, saying that the issue did not touch on safety. The FAA will continue to monitor all the affected modes before they are delivered to airline carriers.

“We have notified the FAA of the issue and are working to conduct inspections and replace the non-conforming fittings where necessary. We regret the impact that this issue will have on affected customers and are in contact with them concerning their delivery schedule,” Boeing said.

Sprit has said that it will inspect and repair the fuselages that have been affected. Additionally, authorities from the FAA have said that the issue could prompt a directive for mandatory inspection and repair.

The FAA has been closely supervising Boeing and monitoring the aircrafts manufactured by the company since two fatal airplane crashes that happened in 2018 and 2019. The FAA has been monitoring the 737 MAX and the 787 aircraft before awarding them an airworthiness certificate.