Boeing (BA +1.03%) has reportedly halted 787 Dreamliner deliveries while it provides more information to regulators about fixes to quality control issues, a fresh setback for the troubled aerospace giant.
Last fall, Boeing suspended Dreamliner deliveries after discovering potential structural flaws in the plane's carbon fiber skin. Deliveries were resumed in March, but The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that federal air safety regulators have requested more information about Boeing's proposed solution, causing a fresh set of delays.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner taking off from the company's factory in South Carolina. Image source: Boeing.
The halt is the latest blow to Boeing's operations. The company's 737 MAX was grounded in March 2019 after a pair of fatal accidents and was only cleared to fly again last fall. Boeing bled through nearly $20 billion in cash last year due to a lack of deliveries, and was counting on an uptick in 737 MAX and Dreamliner deliveries this year to reverse that cash burn.
The latest halt, if nothing else, could be an indication that following the issues with the 737 MAX, regulators are now taking a much harder look at Boeing's operations and its processes for dealing with potential issues.
It's unclear how many planes are affected or how long the halt will last. American Airlines Group was scheduled to receive a Dreamliner this week, but the delivery timetable has been delayed until next week at the earliest, according to the report.
Boeing told the Journal it was working with regulators to provide the information needed in a timely and transparent manner.
