Boeing Calls Fuselage Problem in 55 Dreamliners 'Fixable'

Boeing (NYSE:BA) told reporters on Wednesday that 55 of its new 787 Dreamliner jets may have fuselage flaws.

Earlier this month, Boeing said it found that incorrect shimming was performed on support structure on the aft fuselage of some 787s. Last week, it said the problem can be fixed in a “matter of days, not weeks or months” as some had feared.

Today, the company called the issue “very fixable,” according to Reuters.

“All the airplanes that were built up to plane 55 have the potential for the shimming issue," James Albaugh, chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters during a media roundtable in Singapore, according to Reuters.

Boeing is examining a backlog of assembled Dreamliners to see whether they show similar manufacturing problems. Shimming is a process used by plane makers to fill tiny gaps when the aircraft is built.

The aircraft designer said the light-weight, carbon-composite jet, which was three years behind its development schedule before finally taking off late last year, is still safe to fly.