Repairing a flaw in the fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner could take up to two weeks per plane, Boeing said on Thursday in a development that could hamper plans to ramp up production of the long delayed airliner.
Boeing disclosed the problem earlier this month, saying incorrect shimming had led to de-lamination of a section of the rear fuselage support structure. Boeing said as many as 55 already assembled 787s may need to be repaired.
The 787 program is already more than three years behind its original production schedule, with just five so far delivered to airlines. Boeing has announced plans to increase 787 production to 10 per month by the end of 2013, up from 2.5 per month now.
Boeing said the repair work could be done alongside other work on 787s that are under construction, but would likely take between 10 and 14 days on aircraft already built.
