June 6, 2023 at 12:01 p.m. Boeing Co. will delay deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft after uncovering flawed parts during production, a setback as the planemaker works to meet soaring demand for its long-range aircraft. Shares fell as much as 3.9% on the news, reversing an earlier gain.
The 787's latest problem mirrors production issues discovered over 2020 and 2021 that included improperly fitted shimming that led to paper-thin gaps between surfaces on the Dreamliner's fuselage.
The 787's latest problem mirrors production issues discovered over 2020 and 2021 that included improperly fitted shimming that led to paper-thin gaps between surfaces on the Dreamliner's fuselage.
With 150 firm orders, United has the largest Dreamliner orderbook on record and is positioned to become the largest 787 operator in the world. Today's announcement follows the airline's record-setting purchase of 100 787 airplanes last year.
The A350-900 has a 665 nautical mile advantage in range, while the 787-9 has a lighter maximum take-off weight by 62,408 pounds. The A350-900 offers more seating in a typical configuration, which we would expect to result in a lower seat-mile cost.
The longer the 787s remained on the ground, the more it would cost to get them to fly again, due to the maintenance work required. As a result, they were no longer airworthy.
Earlier this year, Boeing said it was moving from producing three to four 787s monthly. Boeing now says it “plans to ramp” 787 output to five aircraft monthly in late 2023. It is also sticking with a plan to produce 10 of the widebodies monthly in 2025 or 2026, and of delivering 70-80 of the jets this year.
Over 70% of the value of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner was provided by outside suppliers, including engineering work in USA, Australia, France, Japan and Italy. This was a much higher share than in the previous airplanes of the company where less than 50% was outsourced.
The 787's simple pivot trailing edge flaps allow for much smaller flap track fairings than on conventional aircraft. This gives the airplane highly efficient lift-to-drag characteristics that reduce fuel consumption and costs.
The Dreamliner is a successful aircraft, still in production with more than 1600 delivered or on order. The list price for a new Boeing 787-8 is $239 million dollars. Yet even as international travel opens again for these long-range aircraft, two Dreamliners barely ten years old are waiting for the wrecker's ball.
•Because the 787 is pressurized at about 6,000 feet rather than 8,000 feet, you'll breathe easier. More oxygen in your lungs means better sleep, less chance of headache, no difficulty breathing (flying at altitude is like sleeping at a ski resort).