Boeing has again suspended the delivery of its 787 long-haul aircraft, already interrupted for several months in 2021 and 2022 for poor workmanship, in order to analyze a fuselage element more closely, the American agency supervising the Aviation, FAA. “Deliveries will not resume until the FAA is satisfied that the problem has been resolved”says the agency.
It was by examining the certification files that Boeing discovered that one of its suppliers had made an analysis error on the pressurization bulkhead at the front of the aircraft, explains the American manufacturer in a separate message.
The group took the decision to suspend deliveries while redoing the analysis and the related documents. FAA says it works with Boeing “to determine what actions may be required for recently delivered aircraft”.
The company ensures for its part that there is no “immediate danger” for the 787 in service and that the last problem detected “should not increase” the modifications already planned on the devices produced.
Between 70 and 80 devices delivered
The 787 Dreamliner has indeed faced several pitfalls in recent years. Manufacturing defects were discovered at the end of summer 2020. The device being closely examined, other problems then appeared. Boeing had to suspend deliveries, from November 2020 to March 2021 initially, then between May 2021 and August 2022. And reduce production rates.
But after deliveries resumed last summer, Boeing was able to deliver 31 in 2022, including 22 in the fourth quarter. And in December, United Airlines announced plans to order 100 787 aircraft while optioning an additional 100. In January, however, the manufacturer delivered only three.
It still planned, when publishing its results at the end of January, to deliver between 70 and 80 devices by the end of the year and maintained this objective on Thursday.
After the two fatal accidents of the 737 MAX and the flight ban of the aircraft for twenty months, the massive slowdown in air traffic with the pandemic, and the production problems on the 787, Boeing is counting on deliveries of this aircraft to recover financially. The group’s share fell 3% in electronic trading after the announcement.