Boeing jets have Kobe Steel items

Tokyo, Oct. 13: Boeing, the world’s biggest maker of passenger jets, has used Kobe Steel products that include those falsely certified by the Japanese company, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Boeing does not consider the issue a safety problem, the source stressed, but the revelation may raise compensation costs for the Japanese company, which is embroiled in a widening scandal over the false certification of the strength and durability of components supplied to hundreds of companies.

The US airline maker is carrying out a survey of aircraft to ascertain the extent and type of Kobe Steel components in its planes and will share the results with airline customers, said the source who has knowledge of the investigation.

The source asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Even if the falsely certified parts do not affect safety, given the intense public scrutiny that airlines operate under they may opt to replace suspect parts rather than face any backlash over concerns about safety.

Any large- scale programme to remove those components, even during scheduled aircraft maintenance, could prove costly for Kobe Steel if it has to foot the bill.

Boeing’s European rival Airbus said it does not buy products directly from Kobe Steel but is investigating whether any suppliers have been affected. “So far we have not identified any suppliers that procure materials from Kobe Steel for parts fitted on our aircraft,” an Airbus spokesman said by email.

Airbus does, however, buy landing gear parts for A350 from Safran, which are manufactured by Japan Aeroforge, a JV between Kobe Steel and Hitachi Metals.