Boeing 737 Max engine issue will take up to a year to fix, embattled company reveals

By: Olivia L.

Boeing will take up to a year to repair an engine issue on all its beleaguered 737 Max jets, which will delay the certification of its 737 Max 7s and Max 10s.

Boeing has acquired a team of experts to “quickly drive forward a safe and compliant solution” to a glitch that could cause the 737 Max anti-ice system to overheat and damage the engine, the corporation wrote in response to questions from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, according to CBS News.

Boeing officials previously said they would have the issue fixed within nine to 12 months, the outlet noted.

“Small changes made to the engine inlet can change the behavior of the air as it enters the engine, impacting engine performance,” the embattled company explained.

“The solution selection process for the potential overheating issue will require a full understanding of safety and compliance impacts on all systems,” Boeing added.

Although the specific issue has never occurred in-flight, the worst-case scenario could cause components to break off the airplane, CBS reported.

“For the safety of the flying public, I’m relieved that Boeing committed to fixing the known safety defect on-board its 737 MAX 10 before attempting to certify and put yet another flawed aircraft into commercial service,” Duckworth said in a statement to CBS.

“I’m also appreciative that Boeing took my concern with the MAX 7 to heart and agreed to prioritize fixing this safety defect in all MAX aircraft within the next year rather than its original 2026 timeline,” she added.

“When it comes to the safety of passengers and crew, this fix cannot come soon enough – and I will be closely monitoring Boeing’s efforts to ensure it stays on track to permanently address this safety defect and keep the flying public safe,” the senator concluded.

Boeing got a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to continue operating the 737 Max 8s and 9s that are already certified, CBS explained.

The company was initially looking to get similar permission for the Max 7, which was in the process of obtaining its final FAA certification when a door panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines aircraft mid-flight in January.

Boeing withdrew the request after Duckworth demanded that the FAA deny the Max 7 safety waiver.

The company now will not attempt to fully certify the Max 7s and Max 10s until the issue is resolved, CBS said.

On Tuesday, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby announced that the airline had asked Boeing to stop building the 737 Max 10 planes it had ordered and to focus on building 727 Max 9s instead.

“I think it’s impossible to say when the Max 10 is going to get certified,” Kirby admitted at a J.P. Morgan conference.

“If and when the Max 10 gets certified, we’ll convert them back to Max 10s, but Max 10 is out for us until it’s certified,” he said.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines announced this week that it will have to cut its 2024 capacity plans and reevaluate its projected earnings due to the delay in the Max 7 certification, CBS reported.

Southwest operates an all-737 fleet, and had hundreds of Max 7s on order this winter, the outlet noted.