Before the delivery ceremony of the first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, South Carolina, a Boeing 787-10 aircraft being manufactured for Singapore Airlines (front, left) sits in the Final Assembly Area with other aircraft. 25th of March, 2018. Reuters/Randall Hill Boeing will correct another manufacturing fault detected on some of its 787 Dreamliner jets that haven’t yet been delivered to customers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. For the second time in a year, Boeing put a halt to wide-body plane deliveries in May while the FAA looked into the manufacturer’s approach of evaluating the planes. Last year, Boeing discovered erroneous spacing in several elements of some 787 aircraft, including the fuselage, and put a five-month hold on delivery. The latest problem was discovered “near the nose” of certain Boeing 787 Dreamliners that have yet to be delivered, according to the FAA. The problem was detected as part of the FAA’s ongoing system-wide review of Boeing’s 787 shimming operations, according to the agency. Reuters had previously reported on the FAA’s statements. “Despite the fact that the issue provides no imminent threat to flight safety,” the FAA stated, “Boeing has promised to repair these airplanes before restarting deliveries.” A request for comment from Boeing was not immediately returned, and it was unclear how long the procedure would take. There are around 100 Dreamliners that have yet to be delivered to the firm. Because the majority of an aircraft’s cost is paid when it is delivered to customers, further delays could put Boeing’s finances under even greater strain as it tries to regain its footing following two catastrophic disasters that grounded its best-selling 737 Max and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “The FAA will decide whether comparable improvements should be made on 787s already in commercial operation based on data,” according to the FAA./n
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