Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) has cleared a significant hurdle with federal regulators and could soon resume delivery of its giant 787 airliners, which has been plagued by a series of production troubles since late 2020, according to a source with knowledge of the subject. The Federal Aviation Administration informed Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) on Friday, it would approve the company’s process for validating fixes to each plane before they are delivered to airline customers, according to a person talking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an unannounced decision. The FAA refused to respond and directed all inquiries to Boeing co. (NYSE:BA). Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) stated in a brief statement that they would continue to work with the FAA and our customers to resume 787 deliveries.
Approval to resume deliveries would benefit Boeing co. (NYSE:BA), which collects a significant portion of each plane’s purchase price upon delivery. Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) has a backlog of around 120 787s that have yet to be delivered. The plane, which Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) The Dreamliner has a list price of $248 million to $338 million, depending on its size, although airlines pay significantly less than the original price.
In 2020, tiny gaps were discovered between carbon composite fuselage panels, signaling the beginning of problems with the 787. This resulted in inspections that uncovered issues with the plane’s pressurization bulkhead. Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) was also required to replace titanium components, including fasteners, when it was revealed that the Italian supplier had utilized alloys that did not match FAA specifications. Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) asserts that none of the flaws posed urgent safety concerns.
It is unclear how long it will take Boeing co. (NYSE:BA) to deliver all 120 aircraft produced in Washington state and South Carolina that are now in the backlog. Each one will require FAA authorization. American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) plans to get its first two 787s “in early August” but would not include them in the schedule until November, according to Derek Kerr, the airline’s chief financial officer, on a call last week to discuss quarterly profits.
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