Problems continue for the 737 MAX. Boeing plans to tighten controls on aircraft not delivered to customers after finding debris in the fuel tanks of certain aircraft currently stored by the manufacturer because they cannot fly.
"During maintenance operations, we discovered foreign object debris in undelivered 737 MAX planes that we are storing," a company spokesman said on Tuesday. The number of affected devices has not been released. "This finding led to a solid internal investigation and immediate corrective actions in our production chain," he added.
New security measures
For his part, Mark Jenks, responsible for the 737 program, said in a message to employees that the presence of this debris was "absolutely unacceptable".
"With your help and all your attention, we will eliminate [them] from our production chain," he added, detailing the measures taken such as the establishment of new mandatory checklists, additional inspections or signs reminding employees of all the steps to be observed.
A return to the sky in mid-2020?
The entire 737 MAX fleet has been grounded for almost a year after two fatal crashes. But Boeing has manufactured about 400 additional aircraft since that date, before stopping production in January. None could therefore be delivered.
The manufacturer is still awaiting the green light from the authorities after having had to make several modifications to the MCAS, the software supposed to prevent the plane from diving, but implicated in the two accidents. An issue with the aircraft's electrical wiring has also been resolved. Boeing is currently banking on its return to the sky in mid-2020.
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