SAN JOSE, California: US aircraft manufacturer Boeing on Monday told employees it is currently unable to expand production of its long-haul 787 Dreamliner model as quickly as planned due to supply bottlenecks, reported dpa news quoting a CNBC report.
The company told employees at its 787 plant in the US state of South Carolina that the delays were due to supplier shortages of “a few key parts”, according to a memo cited by the broadcaster. Boeing confirmed on enquiry that the report was correct.
There were no details as to which components were missing.
According to the latest information, Boeing was building around five Dreamliners per month and wanted to increase production in the coming year.
The aircraft manufacturer will present its latest quarterly figures on Wednesday and is expected to provide more details on its production plans.
Boeing is facing pressure to enhance its quality controls after a significant incident in January.
A part of the fuselage of a virtually new 737-9 MAX with more than 170 people on board tore out of the plane body at seat row 26 shortly after take-off. No one was seriously injured in the incident involving an Alaska Airlines aircraft – coincidentally, the two seats directly at the opening had remained empty.
After scrutinising production, the US aviation authority FAA demanded a plan for improvements from Boeing and has refused to allow the company to expand production of the 737 series.
In addition, a whistleblower recently claimed that some 787 Dreamliner aircraft could have a shortened service life because the company had taken technical “shortcuts” to speed up production. The company strongly denied this. – BERNAMA-dpa
