Boeing urges inspection of 737 MAX planes for 'possible bolt looseness'

Boeing The airline is urging airlines to inspect 737 MAX planes for a “possible loose bolt” in the rudder control system, the latest quality issue to affect the manufacturer's best-selling jet.

The company recommended the inspections after an international operator “discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder control linkage,” the FAA said in a statement Thursday. “The company discovered an additional aircraft that had not been delivered with a nut that had not been tightened properly.”

Boeing said inspections will take about two hours per aircraft, and all new 737 MAX aircraft will undergo inspection before being delivered to customers.

“The identified issue with the identified aircraft has been remedied,” Boeing said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that operators inspect their 737 MAX aircraft and report any findings to us.

Boeing shares fell more than 1% in afternoon trading.

Alaska Airlines It plans to begin inspections on Thursday. The company expects to be completed in the first half of January, a company spokeswoman said. “We do not expect any practical impact as a result of this,” she said.

Spokeswoman United AirlinesThe airline, one of the largest customers of the 737 MAX, said the company does not expect any impact on its operations as a result of the issue.

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