Boeing buys specialised nuts and bolts to avoid slowdown

Running out of the fasteners could shut down Boeing’s 737 MAX production line, a key revenue source, according to two anonymous sources

Boeing had been running low on specific fasteners used to attach the landing gear on its 737 MAX jets because of the February fire, but secured new supplies in recent weeks. File Picture: Richard Drew

Boeing has secured new stocks of specialised nuts and bolts that hold together its top-selling commercial jet, two industry sources told Reuters.

It helps the company to avoid, for now, any slowdown in US plane production due to a fire at a key supplier’s factory.

Boeing had been running low on specific fasteners used to attach the landing gear on its 737 MAX jets because of the February fire, but secured new supplies in recent weeks, albeit at higher prices, one of the sources said.

A Boeing spokesperson said the company is taking steps to address fastener shortages, but did not provide specifics.

“We don’t expect a near-term impact to commercial production,” they said.

Running out of the fasteners could shut down Boeing’s 737 Max production line, a key revenue source, said the two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

As dwindling fastener supplies threaten the broader aerospace industry, some producers of the nuts taking on contracts to provide alternate supply are hiking prices to reflect rising costs of materials and labour, a third senior industry source said.

Rising prices

The price of some specialised fasteners, which currently cost hundreds of dollars apiece, could rise by double-digit percentages, one executive said.

The supply shortfall comes as the aerospace industry faces threats from US president Donald Trump’s fluctuating tariff policy, which could affect the price and delivery times of planes and parts.

The shortage has also raised industry concerns about a longer-term supply crunch as Boeing seeks to ramp up 737 Max production, which was crippled last year by quality concerns and a seven-week strike by factory workers.

Output of the jet remains under strict scrutiny by federal regulators.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told analysts this year he wants to exceed a regulatory-capped Max rate of 38 a month in 2025 to hit 42 by year’s end — a target that would roughly double the planemaker’s January production.

Fasteners are components that are used to attach plane parts together and can include rivets, nuts, bolts, and screws. The fasteners range from bolts half an inch long to screws several inches long.

Boeing and other aerospace firms have been scrambling for nuts since a fire gutted a huge factory in the Philadelphia area run by SPS Technologies, a critical source of fasteners.

• Reuters