Boeing is pausing 737 production Thursday at its Renton, Washington, factory so employees can take part in a work session focused on quality control. That's as frustration grows with Boeing's manufacturing problems.
Around 170 Boeing 737 Max 9s have been grounded since the door plug of an Alaska Airlines plane blew off in midair earlier this month. Bolt installations are now being inspected.
The Seattle Times reports the panel that blew off was removed for repair, then reinstalled improperly. If that's verified, Boeing would be primarily at fault.
Boeing's CEO met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. Wednesday to discuss the safety of Max 9 jets.
"So we're going to make sure that we convey our message and all the work that we're doing and our faith in our people and our airplanes," said Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci told NBC he is more than frustrated and disappointed and angry. United Airlines has 79 Max 9s that aren't flying.
The airline says it expects to lose money this quarter because of it. United's CEO told CNBC the grounding is "the straw that broke the camel's back," and United will plan for a future without delivery of bigger Max 10 models, which are years behind schedule for production.
Problems with Boeing's 737 Max planes date back to two Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Max 8 model jets were subsequently grounded around the world for 20 months.
The FAA is investigating the latest incident this past Saturday, when one of Delta Airlines' Boeing 757s lost a nose wheel as it prepared to take off.
No one was injured.
United Airlines may look for alternatives to Boeing jets, CEO says
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the company may look to competitors like Airbus when it comes time to acquire more planes.
