Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair is “assessing with Boeing” how the US airframer’s move to pause delivery of some 737 Max jets because of manufacturing errors will impact delivery of aircraft due through the end of June.
While not all Boeing’s 737 deliveries are affected – the issue does not impact 737 Max 9s – Boeing on 13 April said the pause will likely affect “a significant number” of in-production aircraft.
Ryanair is Boeing’s biggest Max operator outside the USA and is due to take delivery of 24 more jets over the remainder of April, May and June. Cirium’s fleets data shows Ryanair already operates 53 Max jets (all Max 8-200s) and has 111 more of that variant on order.
Boeing’s announcement came after it was notified by a supplier that ”a non-standard manufacturing process was used during the installation of two fittings in the aft fuselage section of certain 737-7, 737-8, 737-8-200 and [military] P-8 models”. Though not a safety hazard, Boeing says it creates “the potential for a non-conformance to required specifications”.
