Boeing has resumed deliveries of the Boeing 767F, delivering the first aircraft of the type after a three-month hiatus due to a fuel tank issue.
FedEx Express received its first 767F of the year on March 24, 2023. The airline took delivery of the aircraft, registered as N283FE, and ferried one of its hubs, Indianapolis International Airport (IND), from Everett Paine Field (PAE) on flight FX9030. The freighter first flew on January 8, 2023.
The cargo carrier took delivery of another Boeing 767F on April 4, 2023. The wide-body freighter, registered as N282FE also flew on flight FX9030 between PAE and IND. It first flew on March 25, 2023.
Boeing was forced to suspend deliveries of the 767F and the KC-46, a military aircraft based on the 767, due to an issue with the aircraft’s central wing fuel tank in January 2023. A supplier of the part reported the issue to Boeing, stating that it had not followed the correct cleaning and paint adhesion testing procedures on the fuel tank. The Air Current first reported on the issue in March 2023.
While not a critical safety issue, the failure to properly paint and prime the fuel tank could result in clogged fuel filters and restrict the flow of fuel to the aircraft’s engines.
An Air Mobility Command spokesperson told AeroTime in a statement in March 2023 that an “Initial assessment has not identified any immediate safety risk to the fleet”. The spokesperson added that “there have been no documented instances of fuel contamination caused by non-conforming tank primer on KC-46A aircraft”.
According to ch-aviation.com data, two more Boeing 767Fs are scheduled for delivery shortly, namely, an UPS Airlines 767F, registered as N378UP, which made its first flight on April 4, 2023, and Air Tanzania’s first 767F, registered as 5H-TCO. The African carrier’s freighter operated a test flight using the flight code BOE300, departing and arriving at PAE on March 19, 2023.
Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries data shows, as of February 28, 2023, that the manufacturer has 55 unfilled orders for the 767F.