Another Day, Another Boeing Dreamliner Mishap

Yesterday, just days after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it would subject Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner to an unusual round of post-launch scrutiny, the trouble-plagued plane was involved in yet another safety-related incident.

The latest: a fuel leak on a Japan Airlines 787 at Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The aircraft in question was the same one afflicted by a similar leak last week while on the ground at Boston’s Logan Airport.

Other 787-related incidents include the following:

• A fire broke out on a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston earlier this month.
• A fire similar to the one in Boston had been reported during the 787’s testing phase in 2010.
• In December, an electrical malfunction forced a United Airlines 787 to make an emergency landing.
• Later that same month, United reported that the same issue had been discovered on a second Dreamliner.
• Also in December, Qatar Airlines grounded one of its 787s because of electrical issues.
• The FAA has ordered inspections of potential fuel-line leaks on all 787s.

The first 787 was received by ANA in September 2011, and since then about 35 787s have been delivered to eight airline customers.

As of last month, the company had taken orders for 844 Dreamliners, and Boeing hopes to sell as many as 5,000 during the lifetime of the plane.

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Officials representing Boeing and the FAA continue to insist that the Dreamliner is fundamentally safe, and that the issues are normal “teething” glitches that afflict any new aircraft in its initial in-service period.

Reader Reality Check

Are the 787’s problems of concern to you? Would you fly on one anyway?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.
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