The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has found the Boeing 787 Dreamliner certification documents to be incomplete, according to a Reuters report, raising concerns about 787 deliveries being delayed even further.
According to the report, the US aviation regulator has sent a portion of documents regarding the 787 certification back to Boeing requesting some additional information. However, the report, which cited sources, also stated that it was too early to say whether FAA concerns would lead to a new delay of 787 deliveries.
The news about the FAA concerns comes almost three weeks after Boeing revealed that it had submitted the 787 Dreamliner certification plan to the US FAA.
“We completed the required work on initial airplanes and are conducting Boeing check flights. We will continue to give our teams the time they need, engage transparently and follow the lead of our regulator on next steps and timing,” Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said on April 27, 2022, commenting on the situation regarding the Dreamliners.
According to Boeing at that time, the production rate of the 787 is currently at a very low rate and will continue to be so until deliveries resume, with an expected gradual return to five per month. In its first quarter financial report, Boeing also said that it continued to anticipate “787 abnormal costs of approximately $2 billion, with most being incurred by the end of 2023”.
The Reuters report from May 13, 2022, cited Boeing as saying that it continued to work closely with the FAA, and that the FAA declined to comment beyond saying that safety determined the pace of the review.
Deliveries of the Dreamliner have been suspended since May 2021 over structural issues. The FAA also announced on February 15, 2022, that it wants final sign-off on each 787 Dreamliner before it is delivered to customers.
The Boeing 787 aircraft delivery delays have affected several airlines, including American Airlines (A1G) (AAL). The Fort Worth-based carrier was forced to revise its summer schedule and reduce flights because of Boeing’s inability to deliver 787 Dreamliners.
The airline currently expects delivery of seven 787-8s after the summer season 2022. The remaining six 787-8 will arrive in 2023, with four of the larger 787-9 variant aircraft to be delivered in 2024.
Previously, American had expected 10 787-8 Dreamliners to be delivered in 2022.