The FAA has notified Boeing that it will no longer be allowed to ‘self-certify’ the airworthiness of its 787 Dreamliners before delivery to customers; each one will now be checked out by the FAA before an airworthiness certificate can be issued.
The move is an outgrowth both of reports of “weak oversight” and “shoddy production” at the South Carolina plant where the 787 is built, and a response to criticism that the relationship between Boeing and FAA has been too close, leading to errors in the process by which the Boeing 737 Max was approved.
The new procedure will continue, FAA said, until ”Boeing’s quality control and manufacturing processes consistently produce 787s that meet FAA design standards.” The defects include one that could shorten fuselage life, and Boeing has been working with FAA and airlines to fix the problem.
The situation has also led to long delivery delays for 787s, leading to disruption of schedules for airlines who expected to put them into service by now. American Airlines, one of those that have been waiting, has shifted part of its order into more 737 Max planes.
