General Electric plans to ask airlines for a second round of inspections on its newest engines after an investigation pointed to different causes for failures on a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet and on a 787 Dreamliner.
A service bulletin will be issued “in the next day or two” calling for checks on the GEnx engines’ low-pressure turbines, said Rick Kennedy, a spokesman for GE’s aviation unit. That component showed damage after a GEnx engine on a 747-8 freighter failed on takeoff in Shanghai on Sept. 11.
The China incident followed the failure of a GEnx engine on a Dreamliner during a July 28 test near Boeing’s Charleston, S.C., plant. A National Transportation Safety Board probe found a crack in a rotating shaft in that engine. The shaft wasn’t damaged on the Shanghai jet, the NTSB has said.
As GE works with U.S. regulators to identify the cause of the GEnx issues, Qatar Airways said it will defer delivery of Dreamliners it has on order until the engines are modified. Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker announced the delay after a speech Tuesday in Doha, Reuters reported earlier.
Qatar Airways’ 30 firm orders for the twin-engine wide-body jet trail only All Nippon Airways Co., International Lease Finance and Emirates. Qatar Airways has an option for an additional 30 Dreamliners.
Bloomberg News
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.