The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is on display at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, United Kingdom on July 20, 2022.
Peter Cziborra | Portal
Boeing is urging airlines to check 737 Max planes for a “possible loose screw” in the rudder control system, the latest quality problem to affect the manufacturer's best-selling jetliner.
The manufacturer recommended the inspections after “an international operator, while performing routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder control linkage, discovered a bolt with a missing nut,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “The company discovered another undelivered aircraft with a nut that was not properly tightened.”
The inspections will take about two hours per plane and all new 737 Max aircraft will undergo an inspection before they are handed over to customers, Boeing said.
“The issue identified with the specific aircraft has been resolved,” Boeing said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage operators to inspect their 737 MAX aircraft and report any findings to us.
Alaska Airlines plans to begin inspections on Thursday. A spokeswoman said the airline expected completion in the first half of January. “We don’t expect any operational impact from this,” she said.
A spokeswoman for United Airlines, one of the largest 737 Max customers, said the airline does not expect its operations to be impacted due to the issue.