• Source:REUTERS
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The Boeing 737 MAX crisis deepened further after United Airlines stated that it had found loose bolts on multiple grounded MAX 9 aircraft, raising new concerns among industry experts. The development comes days after US regulators grounded 171 MAX 9 planes when a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated flight after taking off from a Portland, Oregon, airport on Friday.

United, one of the two US carriers that fly this Boeing model with the panels, said during its own initial inspections, it discovered bolts that needed tightening on several panels. That disclosure heightened concerns about the production process of the MAX 9 jets that have been grounded.

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United has discovered more than ten aircraft with loose bolts during its early inspections, up from the initial five that were first reported by industry publication The Air Current, and the figure may increase. The precise inspection guidelines in the matter remain under debate between Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the airlines.

Boeing is expected to revise the guidelines it submitted to airlines on Monday, and the FAA would have to sign off on those changes before the airlines could begin repairs, Reuters reported citing sources.

Boeing said that it was keeping a close eye on the operators of the MAX 9 and would assist customers in addressing any issues that arose from inspections.

"We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards," the planemaker said as quoted by the news agency Reuters. "We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers," they added further.

Prolonged worries could put more strain on Boeing, which has experienced multiple production issue since the 737 MAX family was grounded for 20 months in March 2019 following two fatal crashes that claimed 346 lives. Boeing shares sank 8 per cent on Monday.

(With Reuters Inputs)