Boeing Faces Production Issues; Air India, Akasa Expansion May Get Delayed

Boeing may not be able to keep up with the aircraft delivery schedules for Air India and Akasa Air,

has reported. This may hamper the expansion plans for these airlines. Reportedly, Boeing is facing some challenges in the production line of its best-seller jet 737 Max and this may cause a delay in delivery.

Earlier, Air India had placed an order for 190 737 MAX jets, which was part of its largest-ever order of 470 aircraft. Delivery of some of these aircraft was scheduled this year itself.

Akasa Air had placed an order for 72 of these planes. It has already received 19. The delivery of the remaining 53 aircraft is expected by March 2027. However, the latest development hints at a delay and may hamper the plans of the country's youngest carrier. It may also affect its ambition to operate on international routes.

The issue with the 737 MAX production

In a statement given to

, Boeing said that a third-party supplier had informed it of using a non-standard manufacturing process to install two fittings in the aft fuselage section of some 737-7, 737-8, 737-8-200, and P-8 models airplanes. This may result in "non-conformance" to the required specifications.

What is non-conformance?

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) operate with the support of several external vendors. They ask these vendors to supply the required parts in accordance with the set standards. Some vendors fail to comply with these standards and supply parts that do not meet the OEM's requirements. Therefore, the faulty parts need to be changed in order to ensure the safety and airworthiness of the aircraft.

However, Boeing has clarified that the planes already in service will not have an impact since this is not an immediate flight safety issue, the report added. Regardless, the planes still in the production line or in the inventory will undergo replacement. Hence, Boeing may have to reschedule its delivery arrangements.