The problems are piling up for Boeing. The plane maker said an employee at its supplier Spirit AeroSystems informed his boss last Thursday that two holes in the fuselage of the 737 Max plane had not been drilled exactly to Boeing's specifications. The supplier passed it on to the manufacturer, which needs to carry out additional work on about 50 aircraft, which may lead to delays in some deliveries.
“While this potential issue is not an immediate aviation safety issue and all 737s can continue to operate safely, we currently estimate that we will need to perform repair work on approximately 50 undelivered aircraft,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the group's commercial aircraft division, in a statement released by the company.
Both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems shares opened lower this Monday following Boeing's announcement on Sunday. “Although this issue could delay delivery of 737 aircraft in the short term, given our commitment to delivering perfect aircraft every time, this is the only option. The days we reserve in the 737 program give our teams time to complete inspections and make necessary remedial work if necessary,” Deal added in his statement.
In his statement, the Boeing executive also noted that the company “instructed a major supplier to withhold deliveries until all work is completed in accordance with specifications.” “Although this delay in deliveries will impact our production schedule, it will improve overall quality and stability,” he added, without clarifying which supplier was involved.
Boeing has been in crisis mode since a panel covering a gap that serves as an emergency door in other configurations detached from an Alaska Airlines plane, leaving a hole in the fuselage mid-flight. After the vast majority of 737 Max 9 aircraft were grounded, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, as the acronym in English) opened a formal investigation into the company and then announced that it would subjugate the production process of Boeing, a serious blow to the company.
The company is taking steps to improve the quality of the 737 program, including additional inspections at its factory and key suppliers and increased oversight by airlines. It was also decided to stop production of the 737 for a day in order to refocus employees on quality. In addition, Boeing has hired an outside expert to conduct an in-depth, independent assessment of its quality management system.
The 737 program continues to deliver aircraft and the production rate is now at 38 aircraft per month, although the new incident could cause a short-term slowdown. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has limited production of the 737 to current levels until quality improves and all Boeing factories come under stricter oversight.
Boeing closed last year with a loss of $2,222 million (around €2,050 million). Although these are in the red, the amount is less than half of the losses of $4,935 million from the previous year. It is the fifth year of losses in a row for Boeing. She hasn't raised her head since the catastrophic 737 Max accidents in 2018, and just when it seemed she was ready, the new incident occurred, albeit much less serious than this one. The company already suffered losses of $636 million in 2019, which worsened to a record $11,873 million in 2020. With 2023 results, it has lost around $23,800 million in five years.
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