Last Thursday, Boeing revealed an issue with two brackets in the rear fuselage of certain 737 MAX planes, including the highly popular MAX 8 model, which is likely to result in decreased plane deliveries.
Despite this setback, the company will maintain its supplier schedule, including expected rate increases, according to Calhoun, who spoke at Boeing's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday. The company is also willing to maintain a surplus of aircraft supplies to ensure the supply chain remains unaffected.
Calhoun's remarks led to an increase in shares for both Spirit Aerosystems, the fuselage manufacturer, and Boeing.
This new issue arises as airlines eagerly await new aircraft deliveries in preparation for an anticipated busy summer travel season. Boeing is also aiming to ramp up production of the planes, a challenging objective as the supply chain recovers from the pandemic.
On Tuesday, Calhoun mentioned that the company is evaluating the defect's impact on 737 MAX deliveries and extended an apology to customers, although he didn't offer further details. He asserted that the issue will not influence the company's long-term guidance and unaffected MAX jetliners will continue to be delivered to airlines.
Calhoun confidently stated, "We know what we have to do."
Boeing is set to announce its first-quarter results on April 26.
