MORE EFFICIENT TO BUILD NEW BOEING 787s THAN TO RESTORE THEM

Following the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to temporarily stop certification of newly built Boeing 787s between May 2021 and August 2022, it is more efficient for Boeing to build new aircraft rather than to restore the stored inventory from that period, analysts have said.

Boeing was essentially stopped from delivering new 787s between May 2021 and August 2022, as multiple production issues were discovered on the aircraft. These problems began much earlier, namely in H2 2020, when the FAA began investigating production shortfalls related to the shims that fill the gaps between fuselage sections and the smoothness of the inner fuselage skin. While individually these issues did not pose any danger, the combination of the two could lead to potential structural failures on the 787 Dreamliner. Prompted by the fact that eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners were grounded due to a potential safety hazard, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has started an investigation into the matter.

Issues continued and, to ensure safety as well as eliminate any production problems, Boeing temporarily halted production of the Dreamliner in May 2021, after the FAA requested more data from the manufacturer. Deliveries resumed in August 2022, when the plane maker handed over a 787 to American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) more than a year after its last

By 30 June 2022, Boeing had approximately 120 Dreamliners in inventory, reducing that number to 115 as of 30 September 2022, the company’s Q2 and Q3 2022 Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) filings demonstrated. According to planespotters.net, the plane maker delivered an additional 12 Dreamliners, 10 of which were more than six months old.