Fortune
Boeing discovered a new set of problems in its 737s, further slowing deliveries

Will Daniel
Updated Tue, August 13, 2024 at 5:11 PM EDT • 2 min read

At Boeing (BA), the hits just keep coming. A new electrical issue on Boeing's 737s will take time to correct, Bank of America analyst Ronald Epstein wrote in a note seen by Fortune. “This could further impact the timing of deliveries, despite the uncertainty surrounding the number of aircraft affected by this issue,” he wrote Monday.

Boeing was forced to slow production at its 737 factory in Renton, Wash., last week because of an issue with junction boxes, which are used to rout electrical cables through planes, Seattle’s King 5 news first reported.

Boeing confirmed in a statement to Fortune that the company identified a “nonconforming component” on three already delivered airplanes, leading to their grounding. … “Per our standard process, we will perform any necessary rework on airplanes in our production system to ensure they meet all requirements prior to delivery,” a Boeing representative said, noting that production hasn’t stopped at the Renton factory.

The production delay comes after a string of tragic mishaps at the company. Two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people ultimately led Boeing to plead guilty to fraud for misleading the Federal Aviation Administration when it evaluated the safety of its then-new line of planes.

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