In this file photo taken on Sept 30, 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson, piloted by a Boeing 737 MAX passenger aircraft, lands after an evaluation flight at the Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. As it grapples with a new supplier quality problem by Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing has haltedshipments of some of its 737 MAXs.
The issue will likely affect a significant number of undeliverable 737 MAX aircraft in production and in storage, and could result in lowered 737 MAX delivery rates in the near term.
Shares of Spirit AeroSystems fell 5.3 percent and Boeing shares fell 11.8 percent in after-hours trading.
The problem, which affects a portion of the 737 MAX family of airplanes, including the MAX 7, MAX 8 and MAX 8200 aircrafts and the P - 8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft based on the 737 NG, is not a safety of flight issue and in-service planes can continue to operate, Boeing said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it has validated Boeing's assessment that there was no immediate safety issue based on the facts and data Boeing presented and the agency will evaluate all affected aircraft before delivery.
The problem involves the installation of two fittings that join the aft fuselage made by Spirit to the vertical tail, which were not properly attached to the structure of the fuselage before it was sent to Boeing. Some versions of the aircraft, such as the MAX 9, utilized fittings from different suppliers and were properly installed.
According to the company, Boeing was officially notified about the problem on Wednesday, however the problem is believed to date back to 2019 and the company is still determining how many aircraft could be impacted.
In what ways will Boeing restore the production of the 737 MAX to 2019 rates?
At least 400 MAXs are expected to be delivered in 2023, and Boeing declined to comment on whether the problem will force it to roll back plans to boost 737 production this year. In the first quarter, the company had expected to increase monthly MAX production rates from 31 to 38 by June, the company said in a statement.
We have notified the FAA of the problem and are working to conduct inspections and replace the non-conforming fittings where necessary, the company said in a statement. We regret the impact that this issue will have on affected customers, and we are in contact with them regarding their delivery schedule. United Airlines said late Thursday that at this time we do not expect any significant impact on our capacity plans for this summer or the rest of the year. Spirit said it is still working to develop an inspection and repair for the affected fuselages. The FAA is likely to issue an airworthiness directive that would require an inspection and repair regime.
NASA said it was aiming to test the first commercial jet in July for the first time.
The FAA has a close eye on the safety of Boeing aircraft since two fatal plane crashes in 2018 and 2019. The FAA continues to inspect all 737 MAX and 787 aircraft before issuance of an airworthiness certificate and cleared for delivery. Typically, the FAA directs airline ticketing authority to the manufacturer.