Emirates Airlines CEO warns manufacturer’s critical state; supplier discovers two misdrilled holes.
Boeing faces further delays in 737 Max deliveries due to new production glitches discovered by a supplier, intensifying challenges for the troubled US manufacturer.
Approximately 50 undelivered planes will require rework as supplier Spirit Aerosystems identified two incorrectly drilled holes, as reported by Reuters. This incident adds to Boeing’s ongoing scrutiny for manufacturing issues, following the recent incident where part of a fuselage detached from a plane. In that case, a panel covering an unused door hole fell off an Alaska Airlines flight after takeoff, prompting the plane to return to Portland, Oregon. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
Before the recent incident, Boeing had been working to boost production of its 737 Max, following a period of stagnation caused by design flaws that led to two plane crashes. The model faced a nearly two-year grounding after the tragic incidents involving Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019, which claimed the lives of 346 people.
Yet, Boeing faces increased scrutiny from airline clients following the Alaska incident, which underscored apparent ongoing lapses in its safety protocols. Sir Tim Clark, Emirates Airlines’ chief, joins other airline executives in urging substantial reforms at Boeing. In an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, he expressed that Boeing is in the “last chance saloon” following a noticeable “progressive decline” in standards.
Clark emphasized the imperative for Boeing to establish a safety culture of the highest standard and thoroughly review its manufacturing processes to eliminate any shortcuts. This echoes a common criticism within the industry that Boeing has excessively prioritized financial returns.
Boeing’s board, he asserted, should prioritize production over financial metrics such as return on investment, bottom line, free cash flow, shareholder value, share value, or bonuses. He emphasized that these financial gains would naturally follow if the manufacturing processes were executed correctly from the outset.
As of Friday, the identified incorrectly drilled holes were present in 22 out of 47 inspected fuselages, spanning Boeing and Spirit. There is a possibility that these issues may also exist in some currently operational 737s, as indicated by sources cited by Reuters.
An employee from Spirit Aerosystems, the exclusive supplier of 737 Max fuselages, reportedly found that the holes were positioned too close to the edge of the metal piece in a window frame.
In a letter to Boeing staff reported by Reuters, Stan Deal, the CEO of the commercial planes division, stated, “Last Thursday, a supplier informed us of a non-conformance in certain 737 fuselages. I express gratitude to an employee at the supplier who alerted their manager that two holes might not have been drilled precisely to our specifications.
Deal clarified that the identified incorrect holes do “not pose an immediate flight safety issue,” and all 737s can continue to operate safely.
