Boeing working on new software issue on grounded 737 Max

Photo: The Canadian Press

Boeing is working to fix a newly discovered problem with software powering up on the 737 Max, adding to the list of tasks the aircraft maker faces to get the grounded plane back in the air.

Boeing said Friday it has told the Federal Aviation Administration about the issue.

“We are making necessary updates and working with the FAA on submission of this change, and keeping our customers and suppliers informed,” Boeing said in a statement. “Our highest priority is ensuring the 737 MAX is safe and meets all regulatory requirements before it returns to service.”

A person with knowledge of the situation said the issue concerns software that verifies whether monitors tracking key systems on the plane are working properly.

The monitor check is supposed to happen automatically when the plane or system is powered up, but during a recent review, one of the monitors didn’t start up correctly, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a detail that was not announced publicly.

The issue was discovered during a technical review that normally happens near the end of the software-development process, a sign that Boeing could be close to finishing changes designed to get the plane back in the air.

Boeing is rewriting software that played a role in crashes five months apart in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people and led regulators to ground the plane worldwide in March 2019.

Boeing still must finish the software package, conduct one or more demonstration flights with FAA experts on board, and bring in airline pilots to test the changes it is making.

Separately on Friday, Fitch Ratings downgraded Boeing’s debt rating. It cited uncertainty about when the Max will fly again, the challenge of catching up on deliveries that were halted last April, rising debt, and risks posed by fines, lawsuits and a damaged reputation.

Boeing Co. shares fell $7.85, or 2.4%, to close at $324.15.

Moody’s Investors Service, which cut Boeing ratings on Dec. 18, signalled this week that another downgrade is possible because of a likely long and costly fight to regain confidence even if the Max returns to service relatively soon.