Boeing 787 Dreamliner: A History of Technical Challenges Under Scrutiny After First Fatal Accident
The recent crash of an Air India 787 puts the spotlight on the persistent reliability and quality challenges the model has faced since its inception.
The tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025—the model's first accident involving a hull loss and fatalities—necessitates a thorough review of its complex operational history. While the Dreamliner maintained a fatal-accident-free record for nearly 14 years, this period was not without serious technical difficulties, engine reliability problems, and systemic manufacturing deficiencies that required constant regulatory intervention.
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This report details the recurring incidents and issues that have defined the trajectory of the Boeing 787, an advanced-technology aircraft whose promise of efficiency has been counterbalanced by a series of challenges since its entry into service.
The Lithium-Ion Battery Crisis: The First Major Alarm
The first major challenge to the 787 Dreamliner's reputation occurred in early 2013, just over a year after its commercial debut. Two separate events involving severe overheating of the aircraft's lithium-ion batteries—an innovative technology with inherent risks of thermal runaway—set off alarms worldwide.
On January 7, 2013, a battery on a Japan Airlines (JAL) 787 caught fire while the aircraft was on the ground at Boston's Logan Airport. Nine days later, an All Nippon Airways (ANA) 787 made an emergency landing in Japan after a battery alert and smoke appeared in the cabin.
These two incidents prompted the U.S. Federal Aviation istration (FAA) to take the drastic step of grounding the entire global 787 fleet, an action that was mirrored by aviation authorities around the world. The NTSB's investigation determined that an internal short circuit in a single battery cell caused a cascading thermal runaway, but the precise root cause of that initial failure was never definitively identified. To return the fleet to service, Boeing designed a reinforced steel containment and venting system to mitigate the effects of a failure, rather than eliminating its fundamental cause.
FAQ: The Boeing 787's Challenging History
- What was the Boeing 787's first major problem? The 2013 lithium-ion battery crisis, which led to the grounding of the entire global fleet for several months due to fire risk.
- Are the 787's engines reliable? Both engine options, the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and the GE GEnx, have experienced distinct reliability issues, from premature wear and corrosion to ice vulnerability and component failures.
- What manufacturing problems has the Dreamliner had? Issues have included deficiencies in fuselage assembly, stabilizer manufacturing, and most notably, the use of substandard titanium parts from a supplier in the supply chain.
Engine Reliability: A Two-Front Challenge
Both of the Dreamliner's engine options have presented recurring reliability issues that have impacted airline operations and generated multiple Airworthiness Directives (ADs).
- Rolls-Royce Trent 1000: This engine was particularly affected by premature wear and cracking of its intermediate-pressure compressor (IPC) blades. These durability issues forced airlines like Air New Zealand, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic to ground parts of their 787 fleets for extended periods for inspections and replacements, causing significant operational disruption. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has continued to issue directives on these engines, including one in June 2024 related to risks in the high-pressure compressor.
- General Electric GEnx: The GE alternative has not been without its own problems. The GEnx engine showed a vulnerability to high-altitude ice crystal icing, which could lead to temporary power loss. Additionally, the NTSB investigated fractures in the fan midshaft, and in May 2024, a United Airlines 787-9 experienced a suspected uncontained engine failure shortly after takeoff from Singapore, an event currently under FAA investigation.
Quality and Production: The Systemic Achilles' Heel
Perhaps the most concerning and persistent theme in the 787's history relates to deficiencies in quality control and production, both within Boeing's own facilities and across its extensive global supply chain.
Non-conformances were discovered in the assembly of fuselage sections, specifically regarding the use of shims to fill gaps, which could compromise long-term structural integrity. Issues were also identified in the manufacturing of the horizontal stabilizers.
The most alarming case was the scandal involving an Italian supplier, MPS, which for years supplied structural titanium parts made from an incorrect, lower-strength alloy. These fraudulent parts entered the production line via Leonardo, a major Boeing partner, affecting nearly 500 in-service Dreamliners.
These quality issues are not merely historical. In June 2025, a newly delivered Boeing 787-9 for American Airlines experienced multiple technical faults that led to the cancellation of several of its first commercial flights, demonstrating that challenges in delivering defect-free aircraft persist.
AUTOR
Desde 2017, haciendo periodismo aeronáutico. Award-Winning Journalist: Ganador de la edición 2023 de "Periodismo de Altura", otorgado por ALTA. Facts don't care about your feelings.
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