The Boeing company inspected separate issues with the rear sections of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fuselages and on the horizontal stabilizer.
The Boeing Company on Tuesday informed the discovery of new problems in the production of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that could delay the deliveries. The company inspected separate issues with the rear sections of the 787 fuselages and on the horizontal stabilizer.
Boeing is trying hard to recover from the grounding of its B737 MAX jets which have been restricted due to software issues that resulted in two deadly crashes and now the issues with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner have created more problems.
The 787 planes with the inspected flaws on the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer have not been delivered to the customers yet as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating in the issue.
The FAA officials informed they are engaging with the Boeing Company to investigate the manufacturing flaws. Besides, the aviation regulatory body of the USA said it was also investigating other manufacturing defects in some Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
As per the latest information, Boeing found out some components of the fabrication of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner horizontal stabilizer were clamped with greater force than required which led to erratic gap verification and shimming. This flaw was identified in February 2020 and the company announced on 8 September 2020.
It is expected that the Boeing Company must inspect the horizontal stabilizer issue of as many as about 900 Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Those aircraft currently in the production phase in Salt Lake City, Utah have already been corrected however, the B787s currently in service across the globe have to be checked otherwise it might trigger immediate flight safety issues.
The American aircraft manufacture, however, said the problem doesn’t create an immediate flight safety issue. The company also claimed the new problems on the Dreamliner airplanes won’t directly trigger the flight safety issue instead it would result in premature aging of the stabilizers.
Boeing has already informed FAA about the issue not posing an immediate safety threat. The concerned department from Boeing said the analysis is underway to find out if any action is required ASAP on the in-service B787 planes. As per the Reuters, the Boeing shares plummeted by 5.8 percent on Tuesday.
The frequent issues in newer Boeing airplanes have affected the brand image and reliability. Boeing is manufacturing almost 10 B787 Dreamliner a month and delivered 4 in August (total 84 Dreamliner by the end of August 2020). With the new production issues, the B787 deliveries will take more time.
Boeing is struggling hard to bring back the Boeing 737 MAX into service as the company has been installing/updating new software, features, and conducting various test flights for re-certification. Despite the strong determination from the company, the return of B737 MAX will be challenging due to the fact that the FAA requires more intensive test flights, improvements in software automated system, and many other delicate enhancements.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft is known for the state of the art design with lavish and luxurious features. The Boeing Company started the production of Dreamliner to make it reliable for medium and long-haul flights. The aircraft cabin is spacious with plenty of legroom and more importantly, it is expected to consume 20% lower fuel compared to its counterparts resulting in 20% less CO2 emissions. The 787 is built with flexibility, optimized performance, and reliability but the new issues need to be addressed as soon as possible to retain the fame of the beautiful aircraft.
Boeing previously said it secured the first order for the Boeing 737 MAX in a period of nine months. Poland’s charter airline Enter Air is said to have confirmed an order for 2 B737 MAX aircraft. An unidentified customer is also said to have ordered 3 MAX aircraft.
Transport Canada, a federal institution for transportation policies and programs is taking the responsibility of test flights and re-validation of the grounded B737 MAX airplanes.
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