Airlines pull Boeing jets for inspection

Airlines pulled dozens of Boeing Max 737s out of service for inspections after the aircraft maker told them about a possible electrical problem, the latest setback for the plane.

Boeing said Friday that the issue affected planes used by 16 airlines, and that it recommended inspections before the planes fly again.

The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people. Regulators in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Brazil cleared the plane to resume flying in recent months after Boeing changed an automated flight-control system that played a role in the crashes.

Boeing said the electrical issue was unrelated to the flight-control system. It did not say how many planes are affected or how long it will take for inspections and, if necessary, repairs.

Southwest Airlines, which began flying the Max again last month, said it removed 30 of its 58 Max jets from its schedule to inspect them. Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish said the airline has not experienced any known problems related to the electrical issue.

Southwest has a fleet of more than 700 Boeing 737s, most of them older models than the Max. Parish said the airline will use other planes to operate flights that had been scheduled with Max jets, and it anticipates only minimal disruption to its operation.

American Airlines temporarily removed 17 of its 41 Max planes from service, according to a memo to employees. Boeing traced the issue to a production change made after the worldwide fleet of Max jets was grounded in 2019, American’s chief operating officer, David Seymour, said in the memo.

“We will never knowingly operate an aircraft with a known or potential issue,” Seymour said.

Air Force One lawsuit

Boeing is suing a subcontractor it hired for work on new Air Force One planes, saying the company ran into financial problems and missed deadlines.

The aircraft maker said the subcontractor’s problems have caused millions in damages to Boeing and jeopardized work that is critically important to the U.S. Air Force and the president.

“Despite this situation we are not behind schedule and we still plan to meet the Air Force’s delivery schedule,” Boeing spokeswoman Deborah VanNierop said.