In January this year, Boeing notified operators that it had detected a problem with the base paint, used by a supplier, in the center wing fuel tank of some KC-46A Pegasus and 767-300F aircraft. According to The Air Current, which first reported on the matter, Boeing has failed to deliver aircraft to commercial operators in recent months, particularly as the issue could also have consequences for aircraft models other than the Boeing 767. Only three planes have been delivered between December 2022 and March 9 of this year, according to data from planespotters.net. Boeing order and delivery data showed that two 767Fs were delivered to FedEx in December 2022, and that no such aircraft were delivered to customers in 2023, based on manufacturer data through January 31, 2023, and that in all, Boeing has 55 pending orders for the 767F. The Boeing KC-46A Pegasus is a transport and aerial refueling aircraft derived from the 767-2C commercial airliner and is in service with the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, in addition to the Air Force Israel has four KC-46A tankers on contract for delivery, according to information from Aerotime. “The initial assessment has not identified any immediate security risk to the fleet,” a spokesman for the Air Mobility Command said. He indicated that if a problem were detected, such as paint peeling and contaminating the fuel, it could have substantial consequences for the USAF, since the center wing tank is not only responsible for storing the fuel the Pegasus needs, but also for distributing it. to other aircraft. Since the first KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft was delivered to the USAF in January 2019, the aircraft has been incrementally certified to refuel more domestically operated aircraft.
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