Boeing has been given the green light by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to resume 787 Dreamliner deliveries after numerous production issues halted Boeing moving of new aircraft to its end customers.
According to reports by the New York Times and other publications that have said the report itself is from 'an anonymous source' (get all that?), the FAA approved an inspect and repair process by Boeing that has satisfied the regulator.
The jets will still be inspected by the FAA before they are delivered to their customers.
Boeing has yet (at the time of this publishing) to confirm this approval.
Boeing has only gone so far to say in a statement:
“We will continue to work transparently with the FAA and our customers towards resuming 787 deliveries.”
Boeing would benefit significantly from the resumption of deliveries of the Dreamliner, as it would collect a significant portion of the purchase price at delivery. The plane has been in backlog for about 120 undelivered planes, with prices ranging from $248 million to $338 million depending on the variant, engine choice and interior buildout. While airlines typically pay far less than the sticker price, Boeing would still see a boost to its coffers.
Quality Control Problems Cropped Up in 2020
In 2020, small gaps were found between panels of the fuselage that are made of carbon composite material, prompting inspections.
Unfortunately, these inspections turned up a problem with a pressurization bulkhead at the front of the plane. This bulkhead helps to keep the plane pressurized, so it's vital that it works properly.
The 120 plane backlog will need to be cleared by the FAA. It is not clear how long this will take, as each plane must be inspected individually and thoroughly.
SGF Take: This no doubt is huge news for Boeing. After a great showing at Farnborough, the plane maker desperately needs to keep building on that momentum and other positive developments (737 MAX return) to build their revenue flow back post-pandemic. Now if they can push up that 777X...