Boeing 787 Dreamliner struggles


May 2006
Boeing and partners develop the 787 Dreamliner – world’s first major commercial plane to use composite materials


Jul 2007: Boeing rolls out its first 787 Dreamliner

1 Oct: Initial deliveries held up following glitch in flight- control software

2 Dec 2008: Delivery schedule pushed to 2010 after Boeing encounters problems with fasteners – bolts used to join titanium components to plane’s composite fuselage

Dec 15, 2009: 787 Dreamliner takes to sky for first time.
First delivery scheduled for 2010

3 Nov 2010: Emergency landing after onboard fire in rear electronics bay. Redesign pushes delivery three years behind schedule

4 Jul 2012: During pre-delivery taxi test 787 suffers contained engine failure – fan shaft fractures

5 Dec 2012: United Airlines 787 experiences failure in midflight of one of its six generators that power all-electric flight system

6 Jan 2013: Fires in high-capacity lithium-ion batteries on two 787s cause entire fleet to be grounded – jet returns to service in April with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval

Apr 2020: 1,000th 787 rolls out of factory in Charleston, South Carolina

7 Sep: Flaws found in horizontal stabiliser. Up to 893 aircraft are believed to be affected

Oct 2020: Boeing halts delivery. Deliveries resume under FAA scrutiny in Mar 2021

8 May 2021: Assembly problems with shims – tiny pieces of composites that fill gaps where sections of fuselage join – and skin flatness issues, cause production cut and halt to deliveries

9 Jul: FAA identifies quality issue in forward pressure bulkhead

10 Oct 14: Boeing says that some titanium components are weaker than they should be. Parts include fittings that secure floor beams which support passenger seats, galleys and lavatories


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Sources: Barrons, Reuters, Science Direct, Wall Street Journal 
© GRAPHIC NEWS