With the findings of new production faults, Boeing faces additional delays in its 737 MAX production while confronting criticism from customers.
With the findings of new production faults, Boeing BA and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems SPR face additional delays in the 737 MAX production while Boeing confronts criticism from customers for lapses in its quality culture.
On Sunday, the aircraft manufacturer acknowledged it would need to rework 50 undelivered 737 MAX aircraft following a notice from its supplier Spirit AeroSystems of two mis-drilled holes that are out of alignment on some fuselages.
Following reports from The Air Current, which obtained an internal Boeing memo for staff notifying them of a delivery halt, Boeing confirmed the matter to Reuters.
«This past Thursday, a supplier notified us of a non-conformance in some 737 fuselages. I want to thank an employee at the supplier who flagged to his manager that two holes may not have been drilled exactly to our requirements,» Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said in a letter obtained by Reuters.Latest 737 MAX Production Fault Is Not A Safety Issue
The reported production fault involved a spacing problem in holes drilled into a window frame. The manufacturer plans to dedicate «factory days» to rework the aircraft this week. Boeing is currently producing 737s at a rate of 38 per month.
While the rework may delay production and deliveries, it is not a safety issue for the 737 MAX.
However, Boeing already faces public doubts about its quality practices. The aircraft manufacturer is under scrutiny by the Federal Aviation Administration and its customers.
