Boeing Slows Dreamliner Production After New Manufacturing Issue

phalse phace writes: A new production problem has surfaced with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, further delaying deliveries of the popular wide-body jets. The new problem surfaced on part of the aircraft known as the forward pressure bulkhead at the front of the plane, people familiar with the matter said. It involves the skin of the aircraft and is similar to a previously disclosed Dreamliner issue found elsewhere on the planes. It surfaced as part of the FAA’s review of Boeing’s quality checks on newly produced, undelivered planes. Engineers at Boeing and the FAA are trying to understand the defect’s potential to cause premature fatigue on a key part of the aircraft’s structure. The FAA said the newly discovered quality issue on certain 787s posed no immediate safety threat.

The current Dreamliner delivery halt follows a five-month delivery pause from last fall through this spring. That led to a pileup of around 100 planes by the end of April, many of which Boeing had hoped to deliver by year-end. Boeing said Tuesday it expected to deliver less than half its 787 inventory this year. It delivered 14 Dreamliners as of the end of June.

The delivery pause is another setback for the aerospace company, which has been grappling with various problems in its commercial, defense and space programs in recent years. It is also choking off an important source of cash as Boeing tries to overcome twin crises that resulted from two fatal crashes of its 737 MAX aircraft in late 2018 and early 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic’s hit to aircraft demand.