Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times

Business / Technology


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Originally published December 22, 2008 at 11:45 AM | Page modified December 22, 2008 at 11:48 AM

Comments (5)     E-mail article     Print view

Boeing's 787 maintenance plan approved by FAA

Boeing (BA) has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for its maintenance plan for the new 787 Dreamliner, which should allow airlines to save money because it requires fewer maintenance tasks and allows longer intervals between aircraft checks.

Seattle Times aerospace reporter

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved Boeing's plan for maintenance of the new 787 Dreamliner, which should allow airlines to save money because it requires fewer maintenance tasks and allows longer intervals between aircraft checks.

Boeing claims the 787 should be 30 percent less expensive to maintain than today's comparable size aircraft.

The body of the new airplane is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic composite material that doesn't corrode. And it has all-electric integrated systems designed to allow easy swapping out of individual electronic boxes.

Boeing spokesman Scott Lefeber said airlines could choose to do many routine maintenance tasks individually during the normal downtime experienced on overnight stops and between flights. With current maintenance programs, an airline can perform many of those tasks only during a scheduled operation requiring the airplane to be out of service for an extended period.

A 767 has to be taken into the mechanic's shop for five to 10 days every 18 months for a routine base maintenance check, and for three weeks every six years for a major structural check.

Lefeber said that if an airline chooses to do its 787 maintenance in such set intervals, the Dreamliner will require the base maintenance check every three years and the major structural check only once every 12 years.

Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or dgates@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

More Business & Technology headlines...

E-mail article Print view      Share:    Digg     Newsvine

Comments
Boeing's plan for maintenance of the new 787 Dreamliner, which should allow airlines to save money because it requires fewer maintenance tasks...  Posted on December 22, 2008 at 3:09 PM by Oye Vey. Jump to comment
Composite Aircraft, Electric Actuation, etc, Have Been In Production/Use since the 1970's (F-16, others) And have considerable service...  Posted on January 4, 2009 at 2:55 PM by historyfan. Jump to comment
This is rather surprising -- for an aircraft using a radical departure from 'known' and proven materials and fabrication methodologies....  Posted on December 23, 2008 at 9:17 AM by Not2Sure. Jump to comment

advertising

Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant

Toyota's Toyoda scolds execs for emulating U.S. car companies' mistakes

Money Makeover: Financial makeover: A "go-getter" goes after her spending habit

Do your homework before buying brokered CDs

Mutual-fund deposits shift into low gear

Advertising

Video

AP Video

Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech

Marketplace

 
Most read
Most commented
Most e-mailed
 
 
Advertising