The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) recent directive requiring inspections of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft could potentially impact over 64,000 flights (equivalent to more than 18 million air seats availability) worldwide over the next 30 days, according to our travel intelligence. Major airlines such as All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines or Air Europa, among others, should have to undergo this mandatory inspection, challenging a tight seasonal flight schedule worldwide.
Over 64,000 flights worldwide (equivalent to more than 18 million air seats availability) programmed for the next 30 days could be potentially affected by the mandatory inspection requested by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to 895 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircrafts in operation worldwide, following a March incident involving a sudden mid-air plunge of a LATAM Airlines’ Boeing 787-9, resulting in injuries to over 50 passengers.
The FAA announcement implies that inspections and corrective actions should be performed in the potentially loose or non-functional rocker switch caps or switch canover assemblies on the back of the Captain’s and First Officer’s seats of certain Boeing 787-8, 9, and –10 airplanes, currently operating worldwide. This malfunction is allegedly behind five similar reports, two still under investigation.
According to Boeing “as described in the Airworthiness Directive, a seat manufacturer sent 787 operators a service bulletin in mid-July with additional guidance and inspection procedures on this issue.”
Using our data intelligence, we anticipate the impact of this aircraft recall based on the analysis* of the scheduled flights and air seats availability in programmed routes for the next month, of all Boeing 787 aircrafts affected by the FAA’s Airworthiness Directive (AD), issued on August 20th, 2024.
In a statement provided by Boeing, the company states: “We fully support the FAA’s Airworthiness Directive which makes mandatory a supplier’s guidance to 787 operators.”
Data shows that FAA inspection could affect aircrafts that will be operating over 64,000 flights, equivalent to slightly more than 18 million air seats availability; and 92% of such flights are scheduled in 787-8 and 787-9 models. In terms of air seats availability, 58% of them are scheduled in 787-9 aircrafts, and over a third in 787-8 planes.
“This mandatory inspection will not imply to land all planes at the same time, in fact, the fleet can continue flying and airlines have 30 days to complete it and fix any malfunction, but it will pose a massive challenge in an already tight summer and post summer schedule”.
Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Maketing and Communications at Mabrian
All Nippon and Qatar Airways, the most affected airlines
The air carriers that should have to cushion a larger impact derived from this FAA’s directive will be All Nippon Airways and Qatar Airways; as well as Hainan Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines.
Among the list of the airlines that should have to manage their schedules in the next month to attend this mandatory inspection there are relevant Asian carriers such as Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and China Southern Airlines; or key airlines catering to Middle East and Asia long-haul routes, such as Etihad Airways and Turkish Airlines.
Moreover, world carriers that connect America and Europe, in particular, United Airlines, as well as American Airlines, Air Canada, LATAM Airlines, and Air Europa will also be forced to re-organize air seats availability in the coming 30 days.