Sites where aircraft parts are attached must meet precision standards down to the smallest fraction of an inch. There are questions about the inspection process that is used to verify this work.
The company said it is working with the FAA on the issue and has identified a way to fix the 787s that have not yet been delivered to customers. Boeing said there is no need to ground 787s already in service.
Boeing will repair undelivered aircraft and inspect them prior to delivery. The company said the process will take a few weeks.
“We will continue to take the necessary time to ensure that Boeing aircraft meet the highest standards prior to delivery,” the company said in a statement.
The company has about 100 undelivered Dreamliners. In April, they said they hoped to deliver most of those planes by 2021. However, Boeing said on Tuesday that it would not be able to meet that target due to problems with the 787.
Strong orders and delivery
The news overshadowed last month’s very strong orders and delivery numbers.
Boeing said it delivered 45 planes last month. This is important to the company’s finances, as it receives most of its revenue from the sale of aircraft at the time of delivery. It delivered 33 737 MAX aircraft, 2 military versions of the 737 and 10 wide-body aircraft. But there was only one 787 for Turkish Airlines. Most of the other bodies were cargo aircraft or military aircraft, indicating a weak wide-body market share.
Ongoing issues
But the delayed deliveries and lower-than-expected production for the 787 announced Tuesday will be costly for the company, which posted underlying operating losses of nearly $20 billion over the past eight quarters.