A new quality issue has emerged on the troubled Boeing 737 Max aircraft.
Supplier Spirit AeroSystems said there’s an issue with elongated fastener holes on the aft pressure bulkhead. Spirit said it has multiple suppliers for the bulkhead, so only some units are affected.
Spirit said “based on what we know now, we believe there will not be a material impact to our delivery range for the year related to this issue.” The publication AIr Current however said the company is at a minimum planning for near-term delivery delays.
Boeing has determined there is no immediate safety issues with the aircraft, Spirit said. Boeing did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
The 737 Max was grounded after deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, before a flight prohibition order was lifted in Nov. 2020.
In after-hours trade on Wednesday, Boeing stock
BA,
fell 3%, and Spirit AeroSystems stock
SPR,
slumped 6%.
