It hasn’t been a fantastic few weeks for the Boeing Co.’s 787 program.
First, Boeing’s 787s in service with Japan’s All Nippon Airways suffered setbacks in initial long-haul routes.
On Friday, a Boeing employee was seriously injured after becoming trapped under a 787.
On Saturday, Boeing acknowledged a new quality problem with its Dreamliner, initially reported by Flightglobal. The jetmaker has identified an issue with a support structure in the aft fuselage. It’s supplied by Boeing’s South Carolina facility, wrote Lori Gunter, Boeing’s spokeswoman in an email Saturday night.
“There is no short-term safety concern,” Gunter wrote. “Repairs, should they be needed, will be implemented in the most efficient manner possible.”
Boeing will inspect 787 jets to determine if repairs are necessary.
Gunter called the issue “well defined” and said that Boeing is making progress on the repair plan.
As for 787s in service, Gunter said that no immediate repair is needed. However, Boeing has contacted its customers regarding the problem.
It’s not the first time Boeing’s Dreamliner has run into difficulties. But Boeing’s fuel-efficient jet has roughly 865 787s on order.
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