U.S. Agency Warns of Potential Safety Risks with Boeing 737

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), more than 40 foreign airlines could be operating Boeing 737 aircraft with defective parts that pose a safety risk. This warning follows an urgent recommendation by the agency after analyzing an incident in February involving a United Airlines jet. In the said incident, one of the rudder pedals got stuck during landing at Newark Airport in New York. Fortunately, no one was injured. The problem was traced to a component in an optional landing system installed in some aircraft. Regulators emphasize that no U.S. airlines are operating planes with the defective part anymore. However, this may not be the case for at least 40 foreign airlines. The names of the affected airlines were not disclosed, but the NTSB recognizes a potential safety risk. Two foreign airlines reported similar incidents in 2019. The agency criticized Boeing for not informing the airlines about the part in question. It is suspected that some airlines are not even aware that the parts are installed in their aircraft. Boeing did not comment on the NTSB's remarks on Monday. However, the company stated last week that it had informed the operators about the potential issue. This development is merely the latest problem for Boeing in an already turbulent year, as the company has been under increased scrutiny following an incident involving a 737 MAX jet. The year began with an in-flight incident attributed to missing bolts on a critical part of the fuselage. This has again drawn attention to the company's manufacturing quality and is now affecting its ability to increase production of its best-selling products.