By David Shepardson and Sanjana Shivdas
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday that Boeing temporarily halted deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft because the agency awaits more data to determine that the methods of a planned inspection by the company comply. with the requirements of the Government.
“Boeing must demonstrate that its proposed inspection method complies with federal FAA safety regulations. The FAA is awaiting further data from Boeing before determining whether the company’s solution complies with safety regulations,” the agency said in a statement.
“Since the FAA did not approve of Boeing’s proposal, Boeing chose to temporarily halt deliveries to its customers.”
Boeing Co previously said that it was providing the FAA with more information on its 787 Dreamliners that have yet to be delivered, but that there was no impact on the planes already in service.
The aviation authority noted that it had issued two airworthiness directives to address production problems for aircraft in service.
Boeing’s 737 MAX and 787 jets have been plagued by electrical problems and other failures since late last year, with Dreamliner deliveries only being able to resume in March after a five-month hiatus.
(Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru, David Shepardson in Washington and Tim Hepher in Paris. Edited in Spanish by Marion Giraldo)
