Boeing Co. issued two maintenance bulletins to 18 airlines concerning repairs to the electrical grounding issue discovered earlier this year on 737 MAX jets. All of the aircraft have been grounded since early April, and the repair have been authorized by Federal Aviation Administration. Boeing also halted deliveries of new 737 MAX jets as it determined the source of the problem.
Boeing identified three similar electrical grounding issues – one in a cockpit back-up power control unit, and similar problems in the control unit’s storage rack and instrument panel. All the affected airlines had been manufactured recently, following a change in 737 MAX production processes implemented to increase productivity.
Of a total 109 affected aircraft, 60 are operated by U.S. carriers Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines. Each of these indicated the repairs would be implemented shortly and the grounded aircraft would be returned to service.
FAA administrator Steve Dickson explained last week that fixing the electrical problems would be a simple process, allowing the aircraft to resume service in a short time. "After gaining final approvals from the FAA, we have issued service bulletins for the affected fleet," Boeing offered in a public statement. "We are also completing the work as we prepare to resume deliveries."
The electrical grounding issue is unrelated to the problem that grounded the entire 737 MAX fleet from March 2019 to December 2020.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson testified to the U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing transportation on May 12 that he was fully confident in the safety of the 737 MAX fleet, which was grounded for 20 months following two fatal crashes in five months.
"It is performing as well or better overall than any other airplane out there in the aviation system right now," Dickson said.
