FAA inspecting four Boeing Dreamliners to address ‘production issues’

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be inspecting four Boeing Dreamliners after there were production issues for the planes.

“The FAA is taking a number of corrective actions to address Boeing 787 production issues,” the FAA said in a statement. “One of the actions is retaining the authority to issue airworthiness certificates for four 787 aircraft. The FAA can retain the authority to issue airworthiness certificates for additional 787 aircraft if we see the need.”

“Separately, the FAA has retained the authority to issue airworthiness certificates for some 787 aircraft over the past few years so FAA inspectors can fulfill their inspection-currency requirements,” it added.

The agency sent a letter to Boeing in January telling the company the FAA will sign off on planes after the company reported issues with seams during production in September, CNBC reported.

“We are encouraged by the progress our team is making on returning to delivery activities for the 787 program,” Boeing said in a statement obtained by The Hill. “We have engaged the FAA throughout this effort and will implement their direction for airworthiness certification approval of the initial airplanes as they have done in the past.”

The FAA has allowed Boeing’s 737 Max to fly again after they were grounded for two years starting in March 2019 after two crashes.

Boeing also had to ground some 777 planes in February that used a Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engine after that type of engine exploded during a United Airlines flight.