Boeing has encountered yet another challenge related to its 737 Max aircraft series.

This latest issue involves mis-drilled holes in the fuselages of the planes and has the potential to delay the delivery of approximately 50 aircraft, marking another quality concern for the company.

Stan Deal, the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, addressed the matter in a letter to Boeing employees.

He revealed that the problem had been identified by the company’s subcontractor, Spirit AeroSystems, located in Wichita, Kansas.

According to Deal, while this issue does not pose an immediate safety risk, it necessitates rework on about 50 undelivered planes.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX, which was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage, in Portland, Oregon, U.S. January 7, 2024. NTSB/Handout via REUTERS

Two holes

The problem came to light when an employee at Spirit AeroSystems alerted their manager to potential irregularities in the drilling of two holes, according to Deal’s statement.

This development places both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems under increased scrutiny concerning the quality of their work. It follows an incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 on January 5th, when a panel known as a door plug blew out of the aircraft shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.

The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the incident, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reviewing whether Boeing and its suppliers adhered to proper quality-control procedures.

Assembly line

Notably, Spirit AeroSystems was the manufacturer of the failed door plug in the Alaska Airlines incident.

The aircraft involved had recently rolled off the assembly line just weeks before the incident occurred.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the only two U.S. carriers operating the Max 9 model, reported discovering loose hardware in door plugs of other planes they inspected following the blowout incident.

Consequently, the FAA temporarily grounded all Max 9 aircraft in the U.S. a day after the event.

Two weeks later, the agency approved an inspection and maintenance process to allow the planes to resume flights. Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have started reintroducing some Max 9 aircraft into service.