By Dan Catchpole and David Shepardson
SEATTLE, March 13 (Reuters) – Boeing is repairing as many as 25 undelivered 737 MAX jets with wiring flaws and said first-quarter deliveries could face delays, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The planemaker had earlier this week said its teams were fixing wires that have small scratches. The damage was caused by Boeing, according to one of the two people.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity, because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Some March deliveries will be delayed, a Boeing spokesperson said on Tuesday. It is not clear if it will hamper deliveries in April.
Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave is expected to discuss the issue and its ramifications at the Bank of America Global Industrials Conference on March 17.
Boeing shares were up about 2% in midday trading on Friday.
The company declined to comment further on Friday.
Previously, a company spokesperson said regulators had been notified.
The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Earlier in the week, the FAA said it is “investigating and cannot comment on active investigations.”
The popular 737 MAX is a major revenue source for Boeing and central to the company’s financial recovery after several years of crises and controversies.
(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru, Dan Catchpole in Seattle and David Shephardson in Washington; Editing Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan)
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