Airlines pull Boeing 737 MAX planes over electrical issues, in latest setback
- The aviation giant said planes used by 16 airlines were affected, but did not say how many aircraft were involved, or how long inspections would take
- Boeing says the new issue is unrelated to the flight-control system problems linked to fatal crashes in 2019
Airlines pulled dozens of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft out of service for inspections after the manufacturer told them about a possible electrical problem, the latest setback for the plane.
Boeing said on Friday that the issue affected planes used by 16 airlines. The company did not say how many planes are affected or how long it will take for inspections and, if necessary, repairs.
The company’s 737 MAX aircraft were grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people. The planes resumed flying in December after regulators in the US, Europe, Canada and Brazil approved changes Boeing made to an automated flight-control system that played a role in the crashes.
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Boeing said the new issue, in which a component in the electrical power system might not be correctly grounded, was unrelated to the flight-control system.
Southwest Airlines, which began flying the MAX again last month, said it removed 30 of its 58 planes from its schedule to inspect them. Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish said the airline has not experienced any known problems related to the electrical issue.
Southwest has a fleet of more than 700 Boeing 737s, most of them older models than the MAX. Parish said the airline will use other planes to operate flights that had been scheduled with MAX aircraft, and it anticipates only minimal disruption to its operation.
American Airlines temporarily removed 17 of its 41 MAX planes from service, according to a memo to employees.