Boeing said on Tuesday that it expected to delay delivery of some 737 Max jets as it fixed a wiring problem.
The company said that it had discovered small scratches on the wires, which were caused by a “machining error.” It did not say how many planes were affected, but added that the issue on each plane should be fixed within days.
The wiring issue could limit the number of planes Boeing delivers in the first three months of the year, the company said, but it still expects to meet its goal of handing over about 500 Max jets in 2026. The problem does not affect the safety of planes being flown now, but the company said it would notify airlines if further action was required.
The wiring issue, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, comes at an important moment for the company. Boeing is trying to show regulators that it is making progress in reducing quality defects after a harrowing episode in January 2024 when a panel blew off a recently delivered Max jet in flight. No one was seriously injured, but the incident prompted the company to make widespread changes, including replacing its top leadership, selling off some of its businesses, acquiring an important supplier and reforming practices at its factories.
Airlines say the quality of the planes they’ve received has since improved, and the Federal Aviation Administration recently eased restrictions it placed on Boeing after that 2024 episode.
Boeing reported a profit of $2.2 billion in 2025, its first since 2018.
“As we work together to continue our turnaround, we’re making good progress and there’s a lot to be optimistic about,” Boeing’s chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, said in a message to employees in January.
Boeing said on Tuesday that it had delivered 51 planes last month, its best February delivery total since 2017. The company has a backlog of more than 6,100 airplane orders, about two-thirds of which are for the 737 Max.
Niraj Chokshi is a Times reporter who writes about aviation, rail and other transportation industries.
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