Boeing grounds dozens of 737 MAX jets due to manufacturing flaw

United States carriers including Southwest Airlines Co, American Airlines Group Inc and United Airlines Holdings Inc parked a combined 67 of the workhorse planes Friday, about a third of the MAX jets currently in service around the world.

Boeing Co. grounded dozens of 737 Max jets to repair an electrical flaw that emerged just months after the planes were cleared to return to the skies, forcing airlines to cancel flights and line up replacement aircraft. U.S. carriers including Southwest Airlines Co., American Airlines Group Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. parked a combined 67 of the workhorse planes Friday, about a third of the Max jets currently in service around the world. The manufacturing glitch affects aircraft at 16 airlines, not the entire Max fleet, Boeing said in a statement. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the potential lapse “could affect the operation of a backup power control unit,” adding the agency is in “contact with the airlines and the manufacturer and will ensure the issue is addressed.”