Boeing confirmed a machining error scratched wires on a group of undelivered 737 Max jets, triggering rework and potential Q1 delivery delays — but said in-service aircraft remain safe to fly and full-year targets are intact.
SEATTLE — Boeing disclosed March 10 that a machining error scratched wires on a group of completed 737 Max jets waiting to be delivered, forcing the manufacturer to conduct rework on the affected aircraft before handing them over to customers.
The company said the defect does not threaten the safety of 737 Max jets already in airline service and does not change its 2026 delivery targets, though it acknowledged potential first-quarter delays.
“Our 737 programme is performing rework on a group of airplanes to fix wires that have small scratches due to a machining error,” Boeing said. “This ensures they meet our quality standards before the airplanes are delivered.”
Boeing declined to identify which wires are affected. An engineering analysis determined that “the small scratches do not present an immediate safety of flight issue,” the company added. “All in-service 737 Max airplanes can continue to safely operate. If action is required for the in-service fleet, we will issue updates through our normal service bulletin process.”
The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Boeing’s March 10 disclosure. Boeing said it had informed the FAA and its customers of the issue.
The manufacturer said 737 Max production would continue at its current pace without interruption. “Production of new 737 Max airplanes continues at the existing rate… We expect some near-term delivery delays that may affect our deliveries in the first quarter. But given the rework timeline, we do not currently expect this issue to impact our year-end delivery total,” Boeing said.
The wiring defect is the latest in a string of quality problems that for several years have burdened in-production Boeing jets, particularly the 737 and 787 programs. Many prior defects required expensive, time-consuming rework that dragged on deliveries. Boeing appeared to have turned a corner more recently, significantly ramping output on both programs over the past year.
Boeing has been approved to build up to 42 737 Max jets per month and plans to push that figure to 47 by early summer 2026, pending FAA approval.
The disclosure came less than three weeks after the FAA, on Feb. 24, issued an urgent airworthiness directive addressing a separate potential 737 Max “ground wire fault” capable of causing environmental control systems to make aircraft cabins dangerously hot. That directive required airlines to update flight manuals with new pilot procedures. Whether the two wiring issues are related remains unclear.
February Deliveries and Orders
Despite the wiring problem, Boeing kept its delivery pace moving in February, handing over 51 aircraft — up from 46 in January. The month’s deliveries included 43 737 Max jets, three 767s (two freighters and one 767-based KC-46 military tanker), two 777 Freighters, and three 787s.
Order activity slowed sharply. Boeing recorded just six net new orders for the month after accounting for cancellations and other adjustments.
WestJet cancelled orders for six 737 Max jets last month and did not respond to a request for comment. Boeing also moved orders for nine 737 Max jets from its backlog into an accounting bucket reserved for deals the company suspects will not actually close.
On the orders side, WestJet placed new orders for two 787s, while unidentified customers ordered seven 737 Max jets and one 787. Kazakhstan’s Air Astana ordered five 787s, and unnamed buyers ordered six KC-46 tankers.
Boeing closed February with a backlog of 6,151 aircraft, down from 6,196 at the end of January. Its order book includes 4,388 737s, 96 767s, 609 777s and 1,058 787s.
Key Takeaways
- Boeing disclosed March 10 that a machining error scratched wires on a group of completed 737 Max jets awaiting delivery, requiring rework that may delay some first-quarter handovers.
- The company said all in-service 737 Max jets remain safe to operate and the defect is not expected to affect its 2026 target of 500 737 deliveries.
- The FAA did not immediately comment; separately, on Feb. 24, the agency issued an urgent directive over a 737 Max ground wire fault that can overheat aircraft cabins. Whether the two issues are related is unclear.
- Boeing delivered 51 aircraft in February, up from 46 in January, but netted just six new orders as WestJet cancelled six 737 Max deals.
- Boeing’s backlog fell to 6,151 aircraft at the end of February, down from 6,196 at the end of January.
