FAA acting chief to meet inspectors before final Boeing 787 signoff

The FAA's acting chief will meet with FAA safety inspectors in South Carolina on Thursday before determining whether Boeing can resume deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner after production issues prompted the planemaker to stop deliveries in May 2021, an FAA spokesman said. The purpose of acting Administrator Billy Nolen's visit "is to ensure that the FAA is satisfied that Boeing has taken the appropriate steps to improve manufacturing quality and to guarantee the autonomy of workers who ensure regulatory compliance on the company’s assembly lines," the FAA said. On Friday, Reuters reported that the FAA had approved Boeing's inspection and modification plan to resume deliveries of 787 Dreamliners, citing two people briefed on the matter. Deliveries could resume as soon as this month, sources told Reuters. The sources, who asked to remain anonymous because it was not yet public, said the FAA had approved Boeing's proposal that requires specific inspections to verify the airplane meets requirements and that all work has been completed. Boeing suspended deliveries of the 787 after the FAA raised concerns about its proposed inspection method. On July 17, Boeing told reporters it was "very close" to restarting 787 deliveries. But before it can resume deliveries, the FAA must still sign off on an airworthiness certification eligibility document. The FAA noted that even when deliveries resume, it "will inspect each aircraft before issuing an airworthiness certificate. This additional measure of oversight will remain in place until the agency has sufficient data that demonstrates this function can be delegated back to Boeing."<br/>