They need improvement
Boeing said it would need to refurbish about 170 Boeing 737 Max aircraft already built to fix a structural defect that was discovered “almost by accident”.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the company is working to meet the demand for new aircraft, which will last until the early 2030s. It may also affect the company’s financial statements.
According to Bloomberg, Boeing acknowledged that Spirit AeroSystems notified the company that “a non-standard manufacturing process was used for two fittings in the aft fuselage of some 737 aircraft.”
Structural defects found in 170 already completed Boeing 737 Max aircraft
Boeing said the bug “won’t be a safety issue and aircraft in service can continue to operate safely.” However, this will require the removal of at least some of the vertical stabilizers on the tails of some of the aircraft, as reported by CEO Dave Calhoun. Correcting the bugs will take “weeks, not months,” he said. Calhoun described it as a defect that is almost impossible for inspectors to detect with the naked eye, given its location and the fact that the fittings are coated with sealant.
CFO Brian West confirmed that about 75% of the 225 completed, but not delivered to customers, Boeing 737 Max in the company’s warehouses will require further work. “The number of registered aircraft is likely to increase [in the second quarter] and we continue to expect the majority to be delivered by the end of 2024,” he said.
The rework “will affect some of our customers’ summer transportation and we’re terribly worried about it,” Calhoun said.
