by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Mon February 5, 2024
Embattled manufacturer Boeing
announced on Sunday that one of its suppliers discovered holes improperly
drilled in the fuselages of around 50 undelivered 737 MAX aircraft, likely
impacting the delivery dates for the impacted planes.
According to Reuters.com,
supplier Spirit AeroSystems found a spacing problem in holes drilled on a
window frame on some 737 MAX jets. Officials from Boeing confirmed the findings,
but said “safety was unaffected and existing 737s could keep flying.”
A Spirit AeroSystems employee working on the fuselages found
misaligned holes that did not meet “engineering standards” and reported it to management
as part of the company’s 360-degree quality management program.
In response, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal sent
a letter to staff members, which was obtained by Reuters.
“This past Thursday, a supplier notified us of a
non-conformance in some 737 fuselages,” Deal said. “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.”
“While this potential condition is not an immediate flight
safety issue and all 737s can continue operating safely, we currently believe
we will have to perform rework on about 50 undelivered airplanes,” Deal
continued.
Boeing will assign additional personnel to the 737-manufacturing
plant in Renton, Washington, to work on the improperly drilled holes and “finish
off other outstanding work.” How long the process will take will be determined
in the coming days.
Last week, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said there are serious
challenges ahead for the manufacturer as it tries to rebuild trust with the
public following a January 5 incident that saw a door plug ripped off midflight,
leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines MAX 9.
In addition, Boeing
withdrew its request last week for a safety exemption that would have
allowed the company to deliver new 737 MAX 7 planes despite not meeting safety
standards.
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