As deliveries of its 787 Dreamliners remain suspended, Boeing International is optimistic about a restart as it continues thorough inspections and “detailed, transparent discussions with regulators, customers and suppliers”, the aviation manufacturing giant shared with Arabian Business.
Last year, Boeing disclosed quality issues with some of its 787s, prompting them to suspend deliveries of the planes to airline customers.
Deliveries resumed briefly this year but were halted again in May for more inspections, with the company repeatedly bringing down the production rate for the jetliners.
With that, Boeing’s commercial airplanes’ third quarter revenue, which was reported at $4.5 billion, was partially offset by lower 787 deliveries, according to the company’s financial statements.
“This is Boeing being tough on Boeing…We know this important work has impacted our deliveries. While we never want to disappoint or cause delays for our customers, quality and safety always come first,” said a Boeing International representative.
The 787, known as the Dreamliner, is Boeing’s most advanced wide-body, built with composite materials and is the fastest-selling twin-aisle model in history.
To date, the Dreamliner has received more than 1,490 total orders from more than 80 customers, including 21 gross orders this year through September. Of those, 1,006 have been delivered by that time – the official backlog is 413, according to the aerospace company.
“With three models – the 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 – the 787 family’s unique combination of capability, efficiency and reliability is key for the airlines that operate it, particularly as the industry recovers from the deep Covid-19 impacts on travel,” said Randy Heisey, Boeing managing director of Commercial Marketing for the Middle East.
In the Middle East and Africa, 14 airlines operate 171 787 Dreamliners, which has supported regional airlines in opening 74 new point-to-point routes to and from the region to date.
Talking about the history of the aircraft at large, Heisey said: “Globally, the 787 Dreamliner has opened more than 320 new routes for our passengers. It has carried more than 559 million airline passengers and completed more than 2.7 million revenue flights.”
During the pandemic, the 787 has been the most-utilised wide body aircraft, according to Heisey, with the in-service 787 fleet having returned to nearly 75 percent of its pre-pandemic weekly cycles, compared to a low of 20 percent in April 2020.
“During the pandemic, many 787 operators realised the enormous advantages of utilising the Dreamliner to carry freight,” said Heisey.
“Due to the pandemic’s effect on international passenger traffic, airlines leveraged their 787s to carry cargo and bring in revenue as air-freight demand surged,” he said. Nearly 600 787s having been used by airlines for dedicated cargo operations.
The aircraft model is also known for its environmental performance, helping reduce fuel use and emissions by 20 to 25 percent. In the Middle East, the carrier has also helped airlines in the Middle East and Africa save 130 million barrels of fuel and related CO2 emissions.
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