Boeing discloses manufacturing problem with 787 Dreamliner that it says will slow production of jets

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Transportation

Boeing discloses manufacturing problem with 787 Dreamliner that it says will slow production of jets

The company has amassed an inventory of about 100 of the fuel-efficient jets as the coronavirus pandemic and quality problems have snarled deliveries

By Ian Duncan
July 13, 2021 |Updated yesterday at 12:33 p.m. EDT

Boeing disclosed a new manufacturing problem Tuesday affecting its 787 Dreamliner, saying it is shifting resources to address the issue and temporarily slowing the production of new planes.

The company has amassed an inventory of about 100 of the fuel-efficient jetliners as the coronavirus pandemic blunted demand for new jets and previous production issues halted deliveries. Boeing had told investors it expected to deliver most of those planes by the end of the year, but it now says it will probably turn fewer than half of them over to customers.

Boeing cut production of 787s from 14 each month before the pandemic to just five. Handling the new fixes will push the figure lower, the company said.

Like the previously disclosed problems, the new issue concerns tiny gaps between sections of the planes’ fuselage and shims used to close them.

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By Ian Duncan
Ian Duncan is a reporter covering federal transportation agencies and the politics of transportation. He previously worked at the Baltimore Sun for seven years, covering city hall, the military and criminal justice. He was part of the Sun's team covering Freddie Gray's death in 2015 and then-Mayor Catherine Pugh's Healthy Holly books scandal. Twitter https://twitter.com/iduncan

[elleng]

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