Definitely ... A manufacturing defect was detected on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner long-haul, the American aircraft manufacturer confirmed Thursday.
“We received a notification from one of our suppliers regarding some parts that were not manufactured correctly,” said a spokesperson for the company.
More specifically, parts of the device made of titanium do not meet the strength standards required for the 787s built over the past three years.
"An investigation is underway, but we have determined that this does not present an immediate safety hazard to the fleet of aircraft already in service," he continued.
"The planes which have not yet been delivered will be reshuffled as it should be before their delivery to the customers", also affirmed the spokesperson.
Defects also in the fuselage and nose of the aircraft
This is not the first incident involving the 787 Dreamliner.
Manufacturing defects were first discovered at the end of summer 2020 on the connection of a portion of the fuselage as well as on the horizontal stabilizer.
In mid-July, Boeing announced that it had discovered another defect on the nose of the aircraft, which forced the company to suspend deliveries and reduce production rates.
The safety of Boeing planes is at the heart of the concerns of the American air regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), especially since the two close accidents of the 737 MAX which killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. According to the Wall Street Journal, the FAA opened an investigation Aug. 18 into possible breaches of quality standards by Boeing in its commercial aircraft division.
The regulator accuses the manufacturer in particular of having allowed unqualified employees to approve quality controls.
When questioned, Boeing declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.
The FAA did not react immediately.
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