Boeing 737 MAX aircraft production at risk as corporation runs out of bolts and nuts

The Boeing Corporation has run out of essential fasteners, such as bolts and nuts, required for assembling Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The production of the airliner has thus been put at risk.

In recent days, the company managed to secure new supplies of the specialized fasteners, narrowly avoiding a slowdown in aircraft production in the US due to a fire at a key supplier's plant. However, the new shipments came at higher prices. If the issue arises again and cannot be resolved, the shortage of fasteners could result in a production halt of the Boeing 737 MAX line, Reuters said with reference to sources.

Moreover, the reduction in fastener supply poses a broader threat to the entire aerospace industry. Some fastener manufacturers are signing alternative supply contracts while raising prices to cover increased material and labor costs. Forecasts suggest that prices for certain specialized fasteners-which currently cost hundreds of dollars each-could rise by double-digit percentages.

China starts returning previously ordered Boeing aircraft

Meanwhile, two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft ordered by a Chinese airline have returned to the US within the past week. The first one landed in Seattle on April 18, with the second one following on April 20. The aircraft, painted in the livery of China's Xiamen Airlines, was flown back to Boeing Field in Seattle after a roughly 8,000-kilometer journey with refueling stops in Guam and Hawaii.

This marks the second such 737 MAX aircraft – Boeing's best-selling model – that China has returned. The plane had arrived at the completion center in Zhoushan less than a month earlier, where it was awaiting final preparations for service. Another 737 MAX departed Zhoushan on April 18, though it remains unclear which party initiated the returns.

The escalating US-China tariffs standoff poses a direct threat to the aviation sector. The price of a Boeing 737 MAX, typically valued at $55 million, could more than double for Chinese buyers. Some airline executives have already announced plans to delay fleet expansion due to reluctance to pay Trump's tariffs.

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The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support services. Boeing is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers; it is the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world based on 2022 revenue and is the largest exporter in the United States by dollar value. Boeing was founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington, on July 15, 1916. The present corporation is the result of the merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas on August 1, 1997.