Boeing Halts 787 Deliveries Because Of Fuselage Issue

The plane maker is working with the FAA to resolve the latest issue.

Boeing has halted deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner planes after another issue related to fuselage surfaced recently. The plane maker calls it an “analysis error” but is confident that it poses no immediate threat to the in-service fleet. Boeing had previously halted deliveries of the 787s for more than a year due to production flaws; the current development has pushed its shares down by almost 3%.

New issue

Boeing has temporarily paused the deliveries of its Dreamliner planes after it emerged that their fuselage components need additional analysis. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will need to be completely satisfied with the issue until deliveries can be resumed. The agency also said that it is working with Boeing to determine any actions that might be required for recently delivered airplanes. Boeing released a statement explaining the issue:

“In reviewing certification records, Boeing discovered an analysis error by our supplier related to the 787 forward pressure bulkhead. We notified the FAA and have paused 787 deliveries while we complete the required analysis and documentation.”

Boeing has assured that there is no immediate safety of flight concern for the in-service fleet and that it is in contact with customers and will continue to follow the lead of the FAA. The plane maker said that near-term deliveries will be impacted but does not “anticipate a change to our production and delivery outlook for the year.”

Previous delivery suspension

The latest announcement brings back memories of the delivery drought that affected Boeing’s 787s not too long ago. Deliveries of the Boeing 787 were stopped by the FAA in May 2021 after production flaws surfaced and concerns over Boeing’s inspection methods. The FAA then declared in February 2022 that it would not allow Boeing to self-certify the completion of each 787 aircraft.

This resulted in the FAA completing the final airworthiness sign-off for each individual 787 aircraft, just as it has been doing with all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft since deliveries resumed following the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.

For more than a year, Boeing did not deliver a single Dreamliner, affecting plans of several airlines across the world, from American Airlines in the US to Vistara in India.

The plane manufacturer finally resumed delivery in August 2022, handing over a 787 to American Airlines, and quickly ramped up the delivery schedule to more than 30 airplanes in about a month.

Boeing’s Chief Financial Officer Brian West had earlier announced on an earnings call that while it will take some time to ramp up production of the Dreamliners, they are still hopeful of handing out 70 to 80 Dreamliners to customers this year.

What do you make of the Dreamliner’s current issue? Please leave a comment below.

With inputs from Reuters

• 

  Boeing

  Stock Code:

  BA

  Business Type:

  Planemaker

  Date Founded:

  1916-07-15

  CEO:

  Dave Calhoun

  Headquarters Location:

  Chicago, USA

  Key Product Lines:

  Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787