Boeing 737 Max airplanes sit parked at the company’s production facility on November 18, 2020 in Renton, Washington.
David Ryder | Getty Images
Boeing on Thursday warned of reduced 737 Max production and deliveries in the near term due to a parts issue originating with a supplier, Spirit AeroSystems.
“This is not an immediate safety of flight issue and the in-service fleet can continue operating safely. However, the issue will likely affect a significant number of undelivered 737 MAX airplanes, both in production and in storage,” the manufacturer said in a statement.
Shares of Boeing fell 4% in after-hours trading on Thursday. Shares of Spirit AeroSystems fell nearly 8%.
Spirit manufacturers some of the fuselages used in Boeing jets and said in a statement it notified Boeing of a “quality issue” with certain 737 models.
“Spirit is working to develop an inspection and repair for the affected fuselages. We continue to coordinate closely with our customer to resolve this matter and minimize impacts while maintaining our focus on safety,” the company said.
Boeing has notified the Federal Aviation Administration of the issue and is working to inspect and address the fuselages as needed, the company said.
“We expect lower near-term 737 MAX deliveries while this required work is completed. We regret the impact that this issue will have on affected customers and are in contact with them concerning their delivery schedule,” Boeing said in a statement. “We will provide additional information in the days and weeks ahead as we better understand the delivery impacts.”
The FAA didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
It’s the latest production hiccup for Boeing, which earlier this year paused deliveries of its 787 Dreamliners for several weeks to address a data analysis flaw. The company on Tuesday reported March deliveries of 64 planes, the highest tally since December, amid an industry-wide shortage of new jets.
Airline executives have cited aircraft supply constraints as among the chief challenges in ramping up flying ahead of the peak travel season.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
