The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be delivered since last year could be in the hands of American Airlines by Wednesday, according to multiple media reports that say the FAA has cleared the aircraft maker to resume production.
The FAA paused deliveries of the aircraft in May due to concerns about Boeing’s inspection methods.
Last Thursday, acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen met with FAA safety inspectors in South Carolina to hear from them on whether they were satisfied with the actions Boeing has taken on the 787 Dreamliner. “Boeing has made the necessary changes to ensure that the 787 Dreamliner meets all certification standards,” the agency said to GlobalAir.com in a statement. “The FAA will inspect each aircraft before an airworthiness certificate is issued and cleared for delivery. We expect deliveries to resume in the coming days.”
Boeing had 120 787 Dreamliners in its inventory as of the end of last quarter, according to a securities report sourced by CNBC.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced in a memo that it will audit the FAA’s oversight of the Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft productions.
The audit will focus on the processes for “identifying and resolving production issues and addressing allegations of undue pressure within the production environment.”
The memo pointed out that since 2019, “a number of concerns” have been raised about the production of the Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft. In December 2021, the FAA mandated inspection on previously delivered 787 aircraft due to reports of “missed requirements during assembly.”
In June, the FAA rejected a request by Boeing to self-regulate certain tasks for the standard five-year period, allowing the agency to keep a closer eye on the aircraft manufacturer.
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The Boeing 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months following crashes in 2018 and 2019 five months apart that killed a total of 346 people.
The FAA is expected to continue being responsible for the issuance of final safety certificates for new Boeing 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
An investigative report from the House of Representatives released in September blamed Boeing and the FAA for “repeated and serious failures.”
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