• 

  Boeing

  Stock Code:

  BA

  Date Founded:

  1916-07-15

  CEO:

  Dave Calhoun

  Headquarters Location:

  Chicago, USA

  Key Product Lines:

  Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787

  Business Type:

  Planemaker

US air safety regulators have reportedly identified a number of omissions in the documentation submitted by Boeing in April, and have sent parts of it back to the aircraft manufacturer. The documents were required by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to resume deliveries of Boeing 787 aircraft, which have been paused since May 2021.

Boeing had previously advised that deliveries of its 787s were expected to recommence in the second half of this year. At this stage, it is not yet known if any such omissions in the documentation could lead to further delivery delays.

The documentation outlining Boeing’s inspection plans was submitted last month. Earlier this week, prior to the reported findings by the FAA, Boeing’s chief financial officer, Brian West, was optimistic about being able to restart delivery of Boeing 787s, stating,

"This certification plan submission was an important milestone, and it reflects a very thorough comprehensive set of documents that verifies that we are in conformance. And there's been an enormous amount of work into that, working side by side with the FAA along the way."

Ongoing troubles for the Boeing 787 program

These reported findings from the FAA are just the latest in a long line of issues for the troubled Boeing 787 program.

Deliveries of the 787 were halted in May 2021 due to production flaws and concerns over Boeing’s inspection methods. The FAA declared in February of this year that it would not allow Boeing to self-certify the completion of each 787 aircraft.

As a result, the FAA itself must now complete the final airworthiness sign-off for each individual 787 aircraft, just as it has been doing with all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft since deliveries resumed following the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.

This has led to frustrating delays for several airlines, including Emirates, which is waiting for 30 of the aircraft. Other airlines with major 787 orders include American Airlines with 25, Qatar Airways with 23, and Lufthansa with 20.

Aside from the reputational damage suffered, the ongoing delays are believed to be costing Boeing in the region of $5.5 billion. The manufacturer currently has more than 100 787s constructed and ready for delivery, worth around $12.5 billion.

Clearing this backlog is key for Boeing to financially recover from a turbulent few years, marred by the pandemic, aircraft safety issues, supply chain problems, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

What does Boeing have to say?

When contacted by Simple Flying about the ongoing 787 delivery delays, a Boeing spokesperson said,

"We are completing comprehensive inspections across 787 production and within the supply chain, while holding detailed, transparent discussions with the FAA, suppliers and our customers. We are taking the time necessary to ensure conformance to our exacting specifications, and while these efforts will continue to impact deliveries, we’re confident this is the right approach to drive stability and first-time quality across our operations and to position the program for the long term as market demand recovers."

Both airlines and Boeing alike will be hoping that any documentation issues do not mean further delays to 787 deliveries.

What do you make of the latest reported findings by the FAA? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

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