PARIS – United States aircraft manufacturer Boeing today said it has recommended that 16 clients flying its 737 MAX models address a “potential electrical issue”, a new setback for its most popular plane.
Boeing managed to get the MAX back into the air late last year after it was grounded for 20 months following two fatal crashes, and recently announced an order for 100 of the aircraft as the airline sector begins to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Boeing has recommended to 16 customers that they address a potential electrical issue in a specific group of 737 MAX planes prior to further operations,” said the company in a statement.
The potential problem identified today requires “verification that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system”.
Electrical systems must be grounded to avoid overloads that can cause serious failures.
Boeing did not state the airlines concerned, nor did it give the number of aircraft involved.
The plane maker said it is “working closely” with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and will direct clients on how to resolve the issue.
The 737 MAX has been a huge hit with airlines, and was Boeing’s best-selling aircraft until it was grounded in March 2019.
Around 450 of the planes have been delivered to date to 49 airlines or aircraft leasing companies.
Twin crashes
After the Covid-19 crisis hammered the air transport sector, airlines cancelled hundreds of orders.
Boeing currently has more than 400 aircraft waiting to be delivered to clients, and does not expect to eliminate that stock until sometime next year.
The MAX was grounded after 346 people died in two crashes – the 2018 Lion Air disaster in Indonesia and an Ethiopian Airlines accident the following year.
Investigators said the main cause of both crashes was a faulty flight handling system known as the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System.
FAA in mid-November last year cleared the MAX to return to service following upgrades to the model and pilot training protocols. Other regulators have followed suit.
Commercial flights resumed in December with Brazilian airline Gol, then in the US and Canada. The aircraft is still grounded in China.
On March 29, US carrier Southwest Airlines said it has agreed to buy 100 more 737 MAX planes, providing a key vote of confidence.
Other significant orders have already been announced by Ryanair, United Airlines, and investment firm 777 Partners.
Airline sector looks to rebound
The Southwest order, which includes options on another 155 new MAX planes, is the biggest for the model since regulators cleared it to resume service.
Major airlines continue to burn through cash due to low travel volumes caused by the pandemic, but the sector expects to rebound this year.
Meanwhile, Boeing continues to face litigation from families of victims who died in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.
In January, the firm agreed to pay US$2.5 billion (RM10.34 billion) in fines to settle a criminal probe with the US Justice Department over claims that it defrauded regulators overseeing the 737 MAX.
The industrial catastrophe has cost Boeing billions of dollars and seriously damaged its reputation. – AFP, April 9, 2021
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