Boeing Co.
BA 1.15%
halted deliveries of 787 Dreamliner jets due to a documentation issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft manufacturer has not delivered a Dreamliner since Jan. 26 from the production line or among dozens in storage awaiting delivery, aeronautical data provider Ascend by Cirium said. Boeing said last week it had suspended assembly of new planes.
The assembly pause has been lifted, but documentation issues discovered last week led Boeing to halt deliveries pending a resolution.
“Boeing has temporarily halted deliveries of 787 Dreamliners after notifying the FAA that it was conducting additional analysis on a fuselage component,” the FAA said in a statement. “Deliveries will not resume until the FAA is satisfied that the issue has been resolved.”
Boeing confirmed the shutdown and said it did not expect its full-year production and delivery forecast to be affected.
Dreamliner deliveries are central to Boeing’s plan to increase revenue and cash flow, and also provide certainty for suppliers who are ramping up their own production of parts for the plane and the 737 MAX.
Boeing shares recently fell more than 2.5% in after-hours trading.
The company said the issue was discovered during a review of certification records, following a vendor analysis error related to the 787’s forward pressure bulkhead, a section in the nose of the jet that has caused problems in the past.
Boeing has about 100 787s already built awaiting delivery. The FAA must approve each delivery.
Boeing had reduced production to around one Dreamliner aircraft per month, but planned to increase it to three per month and then to five later this year. It said it plans to deliver 70 to 80 of the planes in 2023, most from already built inventory.
Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc.,
PSR 2.12%
one of the largest parts suppliers for the 787, said it continues to supply aircraft fuselage barrels to Boeing. The company said it was on track to deliver eight in the first quarter and 40 to 45 this year.
Boeing delivered three 787s in January and 10 in December, bringing the total to 34 since they took over last August. The FAA said it is working with Boeing to determine what actions may be needed for recently delivered planes.
Photos: Boeing delivers the last 747
Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said last week that it had suspended assembly of the 787 at its plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, to address issues with the Spirit-built airframe. Mr West said it was the amount of work involved rather than a quality issue that led to the unspecified stoppage of assembly.
Tom Gentile, managing director of Spirit AeroSystems, said Thursday that no new production issues have emerged since the FAA cleared Dreamliner deliveries to resume last summer.
Boeing has 575 orders for the 787 in its backlog and said production runs out through 2025.
Write to Andrew Tangel at andrew.tangel@wsj.com and Doug Cameron at Doug.Cameron@wsj.com
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Appeared in the February 24, 2023 print edition as “Boeing Delivery Of 787 Jets Halt Over FAA Forms”.