Groundhog Day at Renton again, it seems.
Boeing said its supplier informed the company a “non-standard” manufacturing process was used on two fittings in aft fuselages.
Boeing said the problem was not an “immediate safety of flight issue and the in-service fleet can continue operating safely.“
However, it strains credulity (at least, if I was the fleet manager of a carrier operating them) that delivery of new aircraft is impacted by the issue, but it is of no consequence to those already delivered. If there is to be an AD issued with timelines, it should surely have been part of the announcement. For, as ever, the announcement is more of a "Teflon shoulders" form, sticking it instantly on another company rather then Boeing, rather than describing things accurately.