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Bloomberg
Boeing Co is poised to resume deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner jets as soon as August 10, almost two years after they were disrupted by manufacturing flaws.
The first is set to go to American Airlines Group Inc now that US regulators have cleared the Arlington, Virginia-based planemaker to restart deliveries. The carrier plans to take
the Dreamliner, its 47th, from Boeing’s factory in North Charleston, South Carolina, and will soon add the widebody to its fleet, a spokeswoman said by email.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in an emailed statement that Boeing “has made the necessary changes to ensure that the 787 Dreamliner meets all certification standards.†FAA acting Administrator Billy Nolen visited Boeing’s 787 plant to meet with safety inspectors and company officials.
Boeing shares climbed as much as 3.7% in New York following the announcement, before paring the gain. The stock has fallen 18% this year.
The carbon-fiber jetliner has been the subject of scrutiny since issues were discovered, including flaws in how its fuselage sections were joined. While deliveries were largely paused in late 2020 — and none have gone to customers in more than a year — the concerns weren’t viewed as a safety hazard and airlines were allowed to continue operating their existing 787s.
“We continue to work transparently with the FAA and our customers towards resuming 787 deliveries,†Boeing said in a separate statement.
Resuming deliveries will help Boeing start to turn the corner on years of operational lapses that have frustrated customers, suppliers and investors. The company will start to unlock nearly $10 billion in cash tied up in the 120 already-built Dreamliners stashed around its factories and in desert storage, according to Rob Spingarn, an analyst with Melius Research. American last took a Dreamliner in April 2021.
Air New Zealand plans to bring 777s out of storage
Bloomberg
Air New Zealand Ltd is bringing more Boeing Co 777-300 widebody aircraft out of storage to help cater to a faster-than-expected rebound in travel demand.
The carrier has four 777-300s in storage in the
Mojave Desert city of Victorville, California. The first of those will be brought out for maintenance in late August, with plans for it to rejoin the fleet next month, the company said in a statement. The aircraft have been there since 2020.
Airlines stored thousands of planes, often in desert facilities where conditions are warm and dry, as Covid-19 upended air travel.
Now that people are wanting to fly again after most of the world dropped virus-related restrictions, the aviation industry is rushing to keep up with
demand.