A Boeing supplier has discovered a new problem with its 737 MAX planes. Two holes were not drilled correctly according to Boeing’s standards, and about 50 planes that have not been delivered yet will need to be reworked. Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said in a message to employees that "while this potential condition is not an immediate flight safety issue and all 737’s can continue operating safely, we currently believe we will have to perform rework on about 50 undelivered airplanes," per CNN.
The news comes at a time when people are already skeptical of 737 MAX planes — and perhaps a bit more nervous about flying in general — because of what happened on an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024.
On January 5, 2024, a section of the plane came off on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. Not long after takeoff, the plane had to make an emergency landing because of it. There were 171 passengers on the plane, which was a Boeing 737 MAX 9.
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Following the incident, all Boeing 737 MAX 9s were grounded and investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. At the end of January, the planes were allowed to fly again.
The 737 MAX 9s have only been allowed to fly again after passing a “detailed set of inspection and maintenance instructions” outlined by the FAA, reported Alaska's News Source.
Now, though, the airplane manufacturer is dealing with yet another issue. Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing supplier, confirmed that holes were not drilled properly on some fuselages.
“A member of our team identified an issue that does not conform to engineering standards. Once notified, we began immediate actions to identify and implement appropriate repair solutions. We are in close communication with Boeing on this matter," Buccino said in a statement.
Because of the quality issues, Boeing could have to delay deliveries of its 737 MAX planes.
The problem was reportedly identified by an employee at Spirit AeroSystems. “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,” Deal wrote in his message to Boeing employees.
On Monday, February 5, the FAA also announced that it is "increasing its oversight of Boeing’s production lines and suppliers, and limiting certain approvals until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved."
In a statement shared on January 24, the FAA said, "The Jan. 5 Boeing 737-9 MAX incident must never happen again."
