In 2020, several structural defects were discovered in the fuselage of over a hundred Boeing 787s. After 4.5 years, the problems have now been resolved.
Since the discovery of the problem during an inspection, Boeing mechanics have been working on filling gaps at the points where fuselage modules are joined together. Although the gaps did not pose a risk to flight safety, they also did not meet production requirements. For this reason, no Dreamliners could be delivered for almost two years.
The problem has been resolved by partially disassembling and reassembling the 122 Dreamliners in which the defect was found. Boeing referred to the repair of the aircraft as ‘shadow factories’. The working method was identical to Boeing’s standard operations, but the repairs meant that fewer new aircraft could be built. Stephanie Page, President of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, stated that the repaired aircraft will be delivered over the course of this and next year. The mechanics, now newly available due to the completion of the repairs, will start working on the 777X program.
Deliveries
Deliveries of the 787 have been halted several times in recent years. The first time this happened was in 2020. At the behest of the FAA, aircrafts could not be delivered temporarily due to faulty quality controls. The pause lasted until March 2021. However, the joy was short-lived, as almost two months later, Boeing had to suspend deliveries of Dreamliners again at the behest of the FAA. In late February 2023, deliveries were paused once again for several weeks.
