The aircraft manufacturer Boeing indicated on Sunday that it had been informed by a supplier of a conformity problem with the fuselages of its flagship model, the 737, which, without representing an immediate danger for planes in flight, should require intervention on around fifty ‘copies not yet delivered.
“On Thursday, a supplier reported to us a non-compliance problem on certain fuselages of the 737,” explained Stan Deal, in charge of the commercial aviation branch of Boeing, in a message sent Sunday afternoon to employees of his branch and sent to the press.
According to him, an employee of this supplier – who is not identified – reported to his supervisor that “two holes may not have been drilled exactly to our specifications”.
“All 737s can continue to operate in complete safety,” assured Mr. Deal, specifying that the group nevertheless estimated that it would have to “rework on around fifty undelivered aircraft”.
“While this issue may delay some 737 deliveries in the short term, it is our only option given our commitment to delivering perfect aircraft every time,” he added.
AFP
Boeing has been going through a rough patch for several months, with several production problems revealed on the 737 which have already led to delivery delays.
An in-flight incident on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 on January 5 prompted the American Aviation Regulatory Agency (FAA) to, among other things, launch an investigation into the quality control of the manufacturer, which itself appointed a independent expert to review its internal processes and subcontractors.
In his letter, Stan Deal specifies that employees suggested more than a thousand improvements during the training and awareness days introduced after the January 5 incident.
Suggestions which have already been taken into account, according to Mr. Deal, since a team has been set up to accelerate the purchase of new tools or an order has been placed for new supports in order to facilitate access in certain corners of the planes.
