Boeing cuts 787 production to address structural flaw

Boeing will stop producing large 787 airliners for several weeks after discovering a structural flaw on its forward pressure bulkhead of the plane in some undelivered but already built units.

The forward pressure bulkhead, located near the plane's nose, keeps the aircraft's interior pressurized.

The planemaker, which had been producing five 787s per month, said it now anticipates delivering less than half of the 787s in its inventory this year. Boeing gets a large portion of the payment upon delivery, so the decline is sure to hurt its cash flow.

Last month, Boeing CEO David Calhoun had hoped to deliver a majority of around 100 in 2021.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the new problem “poses no immediate threat to flight safety. The FAA will later decide whether any changes are needed to 787s that airlines are already using.

The new defect is another setback for Boeing's popular two-aisle plane, which suffered a drop in demand due to reduced international travel since the beginning of the pandemic.

Deliveries of 787s were halted in 2020 and again in May to fix production flaws.