American Airlines announced last Friday that it would temporarily suspend flights between Philadelphia (PHL) and Madrid-Barajas (MAD) between late May and early June as a result of a delay in Boeing 787 Dreamliner deliveries, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The manufacturer recently resumed deliveries of the type, which had been suspended since February to conduct additional analysis on a fuselage component. American Airlines took delivery of one aircraft this month and is scheduled to add three more during 2023.
American Airlines temporarily stops flying between Philadelphia and Madrid while it waits to take delivery of new 787 Dreamliners
In an emailed Boeing statement, the manufacturer again maintained that it continues to work with all its customers on delivery schedules, according to Reuters.
«We remain focused on driving stability in our production system, including closely partnering with our suppliers to address industry challenges to meet our customer commitments», the company said.
For its part, American Airlines stated it will work to minimise the impact of the situation on its operations. In that regard, the company said it will try to meet its intercontinental summer schedule with as little disruption as possible. If there are no further delays, the situation could be contained.
So far, the route between Philadelphia and Madrid is the only one affected. During this year’s peak summer season, American Airlines will offer up to 240 additional monthly flights between the United States and Europe compared to 2022. The figure represents an increase of 14%.
Delivery delays
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a halt to Boeing 787 deliveries on 23 February, following an error in the analysis of data related to the forward pressure bulkhead, a structural component that separates the pressurised and non-pressurised space at the ends of the aircraft.
The type had already experienced similar difficulties in recent years due to production defects initially discovered in 2020 and other problems that arose from extensive testing of the aircraft. As a result, Boeing had to slow the pace of production.
Deliveries were halted between November 2020 and March 2021, and suspended again between May 2021 and August 2022. Between the end of January and mid-March 2023, they were again halted.
The manufacturer said it is working with customers on delivery schedules for new aircraft. Boeing had communicated that, while deliveries would be affected in the short term, it did not foresee changes in the annual production projection. The company aims to produce ten airplanes per month by the end of 2026.
