Boeing tells airlines to stop flying some 737 Max planes

Just months after returning to the skies, Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jet is facing another setback.

Boeing said Friday that it had notified 16 airlines and other customers of a potential electrical problem with the Max and recommended that they temporarily stop flying some planes. The company refused to say how many planes were affected, but four U.S. airlines said they would stop using nearly 70 Max jets. Boeing would not say how long the planes would be sidelined.

Airlines and Boeing have tried hard in the last several months to convince passengers that the Max is safe. This latest problem is sure to spur further doubt among some travelers about the plane.

“It’s a Max, so everybody is interested and that makes perfect sense, but this is the aviation maintenance system working the way that it should,” said John Cox, a former airline pilot and crash investigator and chief executive of Safety Operating Systems, an aviation consulting firm.

Boeing said that the affected airlines should verify that a component of the electrical power system on certain Max planes is sufficiently fastened. The statement comes just months after companies resumed flying the jet, which had been grounded for nearly two years because of a pair of accidents that killed nearly 350 people.

“We are working closely with the U.S. Federal Aviation

Administration on this production issue,” Boeing said in a statement. “We are also informing our customers of specific tail numbers affected and we will provide direction on appropriate corrective actions.”

The FAA said that Boeing notified it late Thursday of the problem, which could affect the operation of a backup power control unit. The agency said it was working with the company and its customers. “It is premature to estimate the amount of time required as it could take a matter of hours or a few days,” Boeing said.

Boeing’s share price was down about 1% around 3 p.m. and analysts said the problem did not appear significant.”

The company’s stock is up about 17% for the year.