That's important for the company's finances, because it gets most of the cash from the sale of a plane at the time of delivery. It delivered 33 Max jets, 2 military versions of the and 10 widebody jets. But only one was a , to Turkish Airlines. Most of the rest of the widebodies were either freighter aircraft or military jets, an indication of the weakness in the widebody part of the market.
United's big Max order was an important vote of confidence for the plane, and the expected recovery in demand for air travel.
But those orders were the only passenger jet orders Boeing booked in the June. Ongoing problems. Boeing is finally forecast to report a profit in the just-completed second quarter. While it may still be able to return to profitability, Tuesday's news makes clear the quality problems that have dogged it since the grounding of the Max are continuing. Boeing's latest challenge: China. The Dreamliner is a leading aircraft in the widebody portion of the aircraft market, in which Boeing dominates rival Airbus.
Sales of Dreamliners and wide-body aircraft in general have been weak during the Covid pandemic as long-haul international travel demand plunged. The new issue comes as Boeing is trying to regain its footing from the pandemic and two fatal crashes that grounded its bestselling Max.
Boeing said it would reduce production to fewer than the current rate of five planes a month for a few weeks but declined to say by how much. The company will reassign staff on the production line to inspect planes and make any necessary repairs. The FAA said it is weighing whether modifications are needed on s that are already in service.
Eight aircraft already in service with global passenger airlines were determined to be unfit for service and grounded in late-August for repairs. Only Dreamliner aircraft with both manufacturing flaws were grounded while aircraft that only had one were permitted to continue flying as they "meet limit load capacity," according to Boeing.
The FAA will likely determine whether or not an airworthiness directive — a legally binding document that outlines a fix to which manufacturers and airlines must adhere — is required, which could affect all Dreamliners currently flying and lead to changes in how the aircraft is assembled.
If one is issued, airlines could see downtime for their Dreamliner aircraft a time when they're needed the most by some airlines who depend on their fuel-efficiency to help lower flight costs during the industry downturn. Boeing produces its Dreamliners — the first of its next-generation product line that has spurred the development of jets like the yet-to-be delivered X — at two facilities, one in Everett, Washington, and the other in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The widebody aircraft is a best-seller and Boeing was producing them at a rate of 14 per month before the coronavirus pandemic, with that number is now down to 10 per month and set to be reduced to six per month in , according to the Seattle Times. The Dreamliner can be found flying on every populated continent following its delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airways but has long suffered from issues.
The global fleet was grounded in following a battery issue that caused an in-flight fire and issues with the Rolls-Royce Trent engine have crippled the Dreamliner fleets in countless more airlines. The FAA's review could include nearly 1, aircraft, according to the Wall Street Journal , depending on the scope of the regulator's investigation, and comes as the troubled Max prepares to re-enter service after being grounded since March following two deadly crashes.
The aft fuselages for all s are fabricated there, whether they are final assembled in North Charleston or in Everett. No immediate action is required. The second flaw was discovered last month and prompted a reinspection of airplanes built before August , when the first flaw was discovered.
Since August , about of the aircraft have been built, suggesting that at least that number potentially have the second defect. Both production flaws occur in the aft fuselage at the join between two barrel sections. A heavy circular bulkhead at the join is strong enough to withstand the pressure difference between the two sections.
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