FAA Orders Inspections of Boeing 787 Jets Due to Manufacturing Errors

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an airworthiness directive requiring inspections of certain Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets after manufacturing errors were found to have caused gaps that exceeded engineering specifications.

The FAA's investigation concluded that shim gaps may have exceeded allowances at the lower side of body splice plates common to the lower outboard wing skins, which could lead to fatigue cracks forming at fastener holes.

Certain Boeing Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes are affected by the directive, with 17 U.S.-registered planes estimated to be impacted. Repetitive ultrasonic inspections will be required at various locations on the aircraft, along with detailed inspections of certain splice plates.

The FAA estimates that compliance costs could reach up to $24,310 per inspection cycle per aircraft or up to $413,270 for U.S. operators. Boeing has acknowledged the issue and stated that it sent out a service bulletin about the gaps in August 2025, allowing planes to continue normal operations.