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New Technical Problems Grounds Some Boeing’s 737 Max Planes Again

News Airports + Flying
by Eben Diskin Apr 13, 2021

Despite being back in service in the United States since December after being grounded for two years, Boeing’s 737 Max is not out of the woods yet. This time, it’s the electrical system in a specific group of 737 Max planes, which will require some planes to be grounded.

Boeing is working with the US Federal Aviation Administration to address the issue, and has recommended 16 airlines temporarily ground the aircrafts concerned while the problem is being investigated. Right now, the 16 affected airlines have not been announced.

According to CNN, the electrical issue could involve a backup to the main power system that powers the plane’s electrical parts. The issue could potentially causes fires, though no actual incidents related to the issue with the electrical system have been reported.

The problem is unlikely to seriously disturb airline operations. Southwest Airlines, which owns the most 737 Max planes, said the issue affects 30 of its 58 jets, so it doesn’t expect much disruption to its flight schedule.

United, which owns 16 of the impacted planes, said, “We are working to swap out aircraft to minimize the impact to our customers. We are in communication with Boeing to understand the timeline for returning the aircraft safely to our fleet. We do not have an estimate right now.”

American Airlines will ground 17 of its 737 Max planes.

All Boeing 737 Max planes were grounded for 20 months, between March of 2019 and November of 2020, after two crashes — caused by a malfunction in the safety system — killed 346 people.

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