Rolls Royce engine blade flaw forces fresh Boeing 787 groundings

Faulty Rolls-Royce Holdings engine blades are deteriorating faster than expected, prompting additional groundings of Boeing’s 787 jetliners for early repairs. The discovery affects about 120 Trent 1000 turbines, or about 8% of the global fleet, and has frustrated efforts to reduce the number of idled planes after a series of engine issues, a person familiar with the situation said. Fewer than 40 Dreamliners are currently grounded for immediate attention. Air-safety regulators will publish a formal requirement for repairs in coming weeks, said the person, who asked not to be named as no directive has been released. Rolls-Royce uncovered the part’s shorter life-span in December, when Air NZ Dreamliners suffered in-flight turbine damage on successive days. <br/>