More nightmares for the Dreamliner

If you knew a particular aircraft style in the past four months had a fire, an oil leak, engine cracks, a fuel leak, and a damaged cockpit window, how would you feel about boarding this type of plane for a flight? That is what potential Dreamliner passengers must answer for themselves, because these are real facts about the 787.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for air safety, launched a comprehensive examination on Friday of the Dreamliner’s design as well as its manufacture and assembly.

The FAA review is “very unusual” because the agency signed off on the aircraft’s safety before it could fly commercially, said John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board.

The safety board is the leading authority in the United States on aircraft safety investigations and is looking into the Boston fire, which preliminarily has been linked to a auxiliary battery system.

The FAA “just certified the airplane, so they’re going to go back and redo it.” Does the FAA “not trust” their “own people?” asked Goglia, who’s also a former airline mechanic.

Kevin Hiatt, President and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, says the situation speaks to what’s going on inside the FAA itself. “We hope they take a look at their own processes internally to make sure that they’re up to date and on par with this new technologically advanced aircraft.”

FAA Chief Michael Huerta said: “There is a continued process that we always go through. So this is not unprecedented.”

Atlanta-based businessman Bobby Burns said to CNN that he has chosen not to fly on the aircraft anytime soon: “I am wary of a plane model that has fire problems and leaks fuel,” said Burns, a project manager who takes more than 50 trips a year, “I think of it the same as a new car model: wait a year or two to get all the ‘recalls’ sorted out.”

On the other hand, travel industry leaders report passengers seem to be taking things in stride. Jay Johnson, President of Coastline Travel Advisors in Garden Grove, California, said not one client has called with concerns about 787 safety issues.

David Holyoke, President of Travel Leaders Corporate, echoed a similar conclusion: “No one is steering clear of it at this point. No clients have called and asked to be rebooked.”

Jim Osborne, who helps run a network of high-end travel agencies, said he has “zero trepidation about flying on this plane.” In fact, he said many clients have shifted their travel plans specifically so they can experience flying on the Dreamliner wide body.

More than 150 Dreamliner flights occur daily, according to Boeing. United Airlines – which has six 787s – debuted the nation’s first domestic Dreamliner routes last November with much fanfare. “We continue to have complete confidence in the 787 and the ability of Boeing,” United said Friday in a statement. The airline described the problems as “early operational issues.”

Other US carriers are in line to buy Dreamliners, including Delta. American Airlines has announced an order, but it’s not yet “firm.” Worldwide, Boeing has delivered 50 Dreamliners. Several hundred are under order, making its success crucial for Boeing, which had not designed a new commercial jetliner in years before unveiling the Dreamliner.

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