NEW YORK: Boeing on Thursday said it had received approval from US regulators for a fix to an electrical problem that has grounded more than 100 737 MAX planes globally since early April.
“After gaining final approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we have issued service bulletins for the affected fleet,” a Boeing spokesman said.
“We’ll continue to stay close to our customers as they complete the work to return their airplanes to service. We are also completing the work as we prepare to resume deliveries.”
US approval for the fix clears the way for the MAX to return to service before the busy summer travel season. Boeing has said the upgrades should only require a few days of work after they receive approval.
Boeing announced publicly on April 9 that it had notified 16 airlines flying its 737 MAX planes of the issue, leading to the immediate grounding of planes and suspensions of new plane deliveries.
The FAA described the problem as “an electrical bonding and grounding issue” and said the problem affects three parts of the plane in models built after Boeing made design changes in early 2019.
The electrical issue was a new setback after the MAX was cleared to return to service in November 2020 after a 20-month grounding caused by two fatal crashes. It is pertinent to mention here that the potential electrical problem that prompted airlines to remove some 737 MAX planes from service had been found in more areas of the plane than initially known.
Boeing stated that the issue, discovered during the manufacturing process, required “verification that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system.” But The Wall Street Journal, citing Boeing, reported that the manufacturing issue affects “more areas of the flight deck than previously known.”
Boeing did not directly comment on The Wall Street Journal report, but said it planned to develop guidelines with Federal Aviation Administration oversight: “Boeing is working with customers on service bulletins that will be submitted to the FAA for approval,” a Boeing spokesman said.

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