Fuselage hitch for new Boeing plane
A key section of a Boeing 787 jetliner has been damaged during assembly at a plant in South Carolina, raising the potential for new delays in getting the new aircraft off the ground.
The 787 is Boeing’s first newly designed jet since airlines started flying the 777 in 1995, and it will be the world’s first large commercial airplane made mostly of carbon-fibre composites, which are lighter and more durable than aluminium.
The fuselage section for the company’s fourth 787 on the assembly line was scheduled to arrive in Everett, Washington, by the end of June.
But Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter said that an employee of Boeing partner Alenia North America did not follow the documented work process, damaging the fuselage.
