Boeing To Conduct Enhanced Fuselage Inspections For 787 Dreamliner: WSJ

Boeing Co’s (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner aircraft will undergo an enhanced investigation to locate a previously disclosed manufacturing defect, the Wall Street Journal reports, based on communication with industry and government officials.

What Happened: The detailed inspection will cover the whole fuselage instead of selected problem areas around the aircraft’s tail. Reportedly certain sections of the carbon composite fuselage could cause premature structural degradation, which would eventually require extensive repairs in the long term.

The WSJ report clarified that both the U.S. Air regulation authorities and the company’s engineers believe the defects do not pose an imminent threat to safety.

However, the extensive control checks delay manufacturing and delivery of the aircraft, and no deliveries were recorded in November — the Journal reports.

In early December, CNBC reported that Boeing reduced the 787 Dreamliners production target in the mid-2021 to five per month, one less than the targets defined earlier. At the time, CFO Greg Smith attributed the revision to a drop in demand for international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In the first week of September, the United States Federal Aviation Administration pulled up Boeing 787 Dreamliners for scrutiny over reports of sub-standard engineering of the rear fuselage.

Price Action: BA stock closed 0.73% lower at $228.62.

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