Boeing Urges Airlines to Inspect 737 Max Planes for Loose Bolts

Boeing is advising airlines to conduct inspections on their 737 Max planes to check for a potential issue with the rudder control system. This comes after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut during routine maintenance. The Federal Aviation Administration has stated that Boeing found another undelivered aircraft with a nut that was not properly tightened.

The inspections are expected to take around two hours per plane, and all new 737 Maxes will undergo the check before being delivered to customers. Boeing has assured that the issue identified on the specific airplane has been resolved. However, as a precautionary measure, they are recommending operators to inspect their 737 MAX airplanes and report any findings.

Inspections to Begin

Alaska Airlines plans to start the inspections on Thursday and expects to complete them by the first half of January. The carrier does not anticipate any operational impact as a result of the inspections. United Airlines, one of the largest 737 Max customers, also stated that they do not expect any disruptions to their operations due to this issue.