Boeing will finally begin delivering its 787 Dreamliner passenger jets to airlines after being held up by federal regulators for more than a year.
Production of the planes had been halted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to a variety of manufacturing problems. They included filling in razor-thin gaps between panels in the fuselage, and the use of unapproved titanium parts from an Italian manufacturer.
“Boeing has made the necessary changes to ensure that the 787 Dreamliner meets all certification standards,” the FAA said in a statement to CNBC. “The FAA will inspect each aircraft before an airworthiness certificate is issued and cleared for delivery.”
The agency’s action in early 2021 grounded the 120 Dreamliners already in service, and prevented the delivery of many more on order with airlines.
American and United Airlines were among those waiting for planes to help reduce the heavy demand in flying following the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
American Airlines expects to start receiving the new planes this week and have them ready to fly in the coming weeks.
With the upcoming delivery, American will have close to 50 of the planes in its fleet, with more than 40 more on order.
The FAA said it will inspect each plane prior to delivery.
“We continue to work transparently with the FAA and our customers towards resuming 787 deliveries,” Boeing said in a statement.
The 787 Dreamliners are important to airlines, particularly those making international flights and long-haul domestic flights between coasts.
One of the larger planes in the sky, the twin-aisle 787 Dreamliners appeal to airlines because they are much more fuel efficient than older model planes of similar size.
According to the New York Times, Boeing will produce five Dreamliners per month, down from 14 per month prior to the pandemic.
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