FAA: New manufacturing issue discovered in undelivered Boeing 787 Dreamliners

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says a manufacturing issue has been discovered in undelivered Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

In a statement shared with The Hill, the agency said the issue was found near the nose of certain planes as part of an ongoing inspection. The issue poses no immediate flight safety threat. 

“The FAA is aware of a manufacturing quality issue near the nose on certain 787 Dreamliners in the company’s inventory of undelivered airplanes,” the agency said. “This issue was discovered as part of the ongoing system-wide inspection of Boeing’s 787 shimming processes required by the FAA.”

“Although the issue poses no immediate threat to flight safety, Boeing has committed to fix these airplanes before resuming deliveries. Based on data, the FAA will determine whether similar modifications should be made on 787s already in commercial service,” the FAA said.

Boeing announced Tuesday that its production rate on the 787 will be temporarily lower as it prioritizes the undelivered planes, adding that it expects to deliver less than half the 787s in its inventory this year.

Boeing paused deliveries of the 787 in late May so the FAA could evaluate how the company inspected the airplane, according to CNBC. The company first disclosed incorrect spacing in some parts of the plane last year, which halted deliveries for months.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation, asked for records from the FAA and Boeing in May amid production issues with the 787, as well as the Boeing 737 Max.