Chicago-based Boeing is inspecting its new 787 Dreamliner airplanes after the company discovered a manufacturing flaw. It’s the latest setback for the Dreamliner, which Boeing started delivering last fall, three years late.
The latest manufacturing glitch was first reported by Jon Ostrower, editor of the web site Flightblogger. He says Boeing found three planes that had a problem in the way the skin was attached to the aircraft’s skeleton.
Ostrower says it doesn’t pose a safety problem in the short term, but could over time.
“As airplanes age and as they have thousands and thousands of takeoffs and landings during their lifetime, this kind of problem can be exacerbated,” Ostrower said.
Boeing spokesman Scott Lefeber wouldn’t say how many planes were affected, but did say that the problem occurred at the company’s South Carolina plant. He also says there’s no immediate safety issue.
“We have the issue well defined and are making progress on the repair plan,” Lefeber said in an emailed statement.
Boeing delivered its first 787 to the Japanese airline ANA last September.
