FAA regulators are requesting additional data from Boeing following its submission of documentation seeking the transportation agency’s approval to resume deliveries of 787 Dreamliners, Reuters reported Friday, citing two individuals familiar with the matter.
A source insisted that the FAA’s concerns regarding 787 data do not automatically correlate to new delays in deliveries.
However, the transportation agency pointed out earlier this year that it reserves the right to withhold airworthiness certificates until the agency is assured “Boeing's quality control and manufacturing processes consistently produce 787s that meet FAA design standards.”
The document in question was submitted to the FAA in late April, with Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun touting the move as an “important step” in its comprehensive review of the Dreamliner. Boeing will have the opportunity to resubmit certification documents upon correcting a number of omissions reportedly identified by the agency.
Boeing claims to prioritize “quality, stability, and supply chain capacity” in its approach.
“Safety drives the pace of our reviews,” an FAA spokesperson told Reuters in response to Friday’s news. The rep declined to expound on the topic.
Emirates, the world’s largest airline, called out Boeing on Wednesday, stressing that structural flaws have pushed the timeline for 787 deliveries to at least 2024.
“The 787 was supposed to be delivered in 2023. Now we know for sure that's not going to happen in 2023. It may not happen even in 2024 because Boeing still haven't recommenced that production,” said Adel Al Redha, chief operating officer of the major airline.
Nevertheless, sources with the planemaker have told Reuters that deliveries are expected to resume in the second half of 2022, which begins in less than two months.
“We are completing comprehensive inspections across 787 production and within the supply chain, while holding detailed, transparent discussions with the FAA, suppliers and our customers,” a Boeing spokesperson told the outlet prior to the US regulator’s request for additional data.
Boeing reported in February that it had accrued some $3.5 billion in associated delivery delay costs, including customer concessions. Another $1 billion was said to be linked to necessary production costs on the jet.