Here are the official statements issued Friday related to the Federal Aviation Administration review of the Boeing Co. 787’s design and manufacturing.
Federal Aviation Administration:
WASHINGTON — In light of a series of recent events, the FAA will conduct a comprehensive review of the Boeing 787 critical systems, including the design, manufacture and assembly. The purpose of the review is to validate the work conducted during the certification process and further ensure that the aircraft meets the FAA’s high level of safety.
“The safety of the traveling public is our top priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This review will help us look at the root causes and do everything we can to safeguard against similar events in the future.”
A team of FAA and Boeing engineers and inspectors will conduct this joint review, with an emphasis on the aircraft’s electrical power and distribution system. The review will also examine how the electrical and mechanical systems interact with each other.
“We are confident that the aircraft is safe. But we need to have a complete understanding of what is happening,” said FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta. “We are conducting the review to further ensure that the aircraft meets our high safety standards.”
The review will be structured to provide a broader view of design, manufacturing and assembly and will not focus exclusively on individual events. The review is expected to begin in Seattle, but may expand to other locations over the course of several months.
FAA technical experts logged 200,000 hours of work during the 787 type certification and flew on numerous test flights. The FAA reviews 787 in-service events as part of our continued operational safety process.
United Airlines is currently the only U.S. airline operating the 787, with six airplanes delivered. The worldwide in-service fleet includes 50 aircraft.
EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 11, 2013 — Boeing [NYSE:BA] is confident in the design and performance of the 787. It is a safe and efficient airplane that brings tremendous value to our customers and an improved flying experience to their passengers.
The airplane has logged 50,000 hours of flight and there are more than 150 flights occurring daily. Its in-service performance is on par with the industry’s best-ever introduction into service – the Boeing 777. Like the 777, at 15 months of service, we are seeing the 787’s fleet wide dispatch reliability well above 90 percent.
More than a year ago, the 787 completed the most robust and rigorous certification process in the history of the FAA. We remain fully confident in the airplane’s design and production system.
Regular reviews of program and technical progress are an important part of the validation and oversight process that has created today’s safe and efficient air transportation system. While the 787’s reliability is on par with the best in class, we have experienced in-service issues in recent months and we are never satisfied while there is room for improvement. For that reason, today we jointly announced with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the start of a review of the 787’s recent issues and critical systems.
We welcome the opportunity to conduct this joint review. Our standard practice calls on us to apply rigorous and ongoing validation of our tools, processes and systems so that we can always be ensured that our products bring the highest levels of safety and reliability to our customers.
Just as we are confident in the airplane, we are equally confident in the regulatory process that has been applied to the 787 since its design inception. With this airplane, the FAA conducted its most robust certification process ever. We expect that this review will complement that effort.
CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney issued the following statement today after U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta announced that the FAA and Boeing will start a review of the 787’s recent issues and critical systems:
“Boeing shares the same commitment to air travel safety that Transportation Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Huerta spoke of this morning in Washington, D.C. We also stand 100 percent behind the integrity of the 787 and the rigorous process that led to its successful certification and entry into service. We look forward to participating in the joint review with the FAA, and we believe it will underscore our confidence, and the confidence of our customers and the traveling public, in the reliability, safety and performance of the innovative, new 787 Dreamliner.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner, in an email to employees:
Our airline customers and their passengers worldwide put their trust in us every day as they fly on our airplanes. Since entering into service, the 787 has logged more than 50,000 hours of flight and has safely delivered more than one million passengers to destinations worldwide. More than 150 Dreamliner flights take place every day. We remain absolutely committed to the safety and integrity of all our products and services.
Whenever a customer experiences any type of performance issue, we take it seriously and have a disciplined process for identifying the underlying cause and ensuring it doesn’t happen again. As more customers take delivery of the 787, we are experiencing some issues with the in-service performance as commonly occurs with a new program.
Our standard practice calls on us to apply rigorous and ongoing validation of our tools, processes and systems. Eighteen months ago, we completed the most comprehensive certification process in the history of commercial aviation on this airplane. We worked closely with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure its highest standards of product safety, quality, and integrity.
It’s important that our airline customers and passengers are assured that our products are safe and reliable. For this reason, Boeing and the FAA announced this morning that we will conduct a joint review of the 787’s recent issues and critical systems. We welcome the opportunity because our own standards, combined with the FAA’s regulations and oversight, are what keep this industry so safe.
We’ve definitely faced challenges during the 787’s entry-into-service; however, none of these issues have changed the fact that we are completely confident in the safety and integrity of the airplane. In fact, the 787 is performing on par to that of other successful airplane introductions into service, such as the 777 – one of Boeing’s highest performing twin-aisle products.
At Boeing, we have a pioneering spirit built on a culture of continuous improvement, which is why this joint review will be a beneficial process for both Boeing and the FAA. We are proud of the 787 – the world’s most advanced and innovative airplane.
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