The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into Boeing’s quality controls on its long-haul model 787 “Dreamliner” following a tip from a Boeing employee who noticed a violation of audit requirements. Boeing has confirmed that the issue is not an urgent safety concern and no aircraft need to be grounded.
Boeing is currently inspecting all 787s on the production lines and developing a plan for those in operation. The FAA is looking into whether required inspections were conducted and if audit documents may have been falsified by Boeing employees.
Quality oversight at Boeing has been under scrutiny since a dramatic incident in early January when a fuselage fragment broke off in row 26 of a new Boeing 737-9 Max operated by Alaska Airlines. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the incident brought attention to potential safety concerns.
In addition to the current investigation, the 787 program was recently discussed in a US Senate hearing after a Boeing employee acted as a whistleblower and criticized the large gaps between fuselage parts on many aircraft, possibly shortening their service life. Boeing has denied these allegations and defended the quality of its aircraft, stating that they continue to work closely with regulatory bodies to address any concerns and maintain the safety of their aircraft.