The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) has approved a new airworthiness directive for certain Boeing 787 aircraft. The measure, published in the Federal Register on November 2, requires inspecting certain areas of the central fuel tank and checking the adherence of the sealants used during its manufacture.
The problem detected does not indiscriminately affect all aircraft in the Dreamliner family. The order is limited to specific units of the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 models, identified in a Boeing technical bulletin. The FAA estimates that the measure affects 60 aircraft registered in the United States, although that figure does not necessarily represent the global scope of the directive.
What the FAA has detected in the fuel tank
The investigation starts from a problem in the manufacturing process. According to the U.S. authority, certain sealant installations in the volume of the central fuel tank did not receive the visual and adherence inspections that should have been carried out during production.
The sealant is a material used to close joints and prevent leaks in the tank structure. If it presents defects, it can compromise the protection of certain areas of the fuel system.
The risk identified by the FAA is related to lightning impacts. If the sealing does not meet the required conditions, a source of ignition could develop inside the volume of the tank during an event of this type, with the corresponding risk of an explosion.
The directive does not state that an explosion has occurred nor that all affected aircraft already have that defect. Its purpose is to detect possible failures before they can generate a dangerous situation.
Which Boeing 787 models must be reviewed
The AD order 2026-22-05 applies to certain aircraft of three Dreamliner versions:
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Boeing 787-8: the units identified in the Boeing technical bulletin.
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Boeing 787-9: the aircraft included in the same document.
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Boeing 787-10: also fall within the scope of the directive when they appear in the list of affected units.
The identification does not depend only on the aircraft’s commercial model, but on the specific units included in the technical document B787-81205-SB570053-00 RB, issued by Boeing on November 5, 2025.
The FAA has explained that the limitation is due to the fact that it does not have evidence that the necessary inspections were carried out during the manufacturing of those units. Instead, it has confirmed that the corresponding checks are indeed being carried out during the production of aircraft that fall outside the scope of this directive.
Therefore, this is not an order to review the entire global fleet of Boeing 787 nor a general grounding of the Dreamliner.
What the inspections consist of
The directive requires a detailed inspection of certain sealant installations in the left, right, and central zones of the joint between the wing and the fuselage, within the area of the central fuel tank.
The work includes two main checks:
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Visual inspection: to locate possible defects in the sealant and surface depressions in the designated areas.
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Adhesion test: to check that the material is properly bonded to the surfaces to which it has been applied.
If anomalies are detected, operators must apply the corresponding corrective measures. Depending on the defect, it may be necessary to contact Boeing to obtain repair instructions and carry out the necessary work.
The FAA also states that certain repairs may be carried out following the specific airworthiness limitations of the manufacturer, as long as the technical conditions set out in the directive are respected.
When the reviews must be completed
The directive will enter into force on December 7, 2026, 35 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
The compliance schedule does not set a single universal date for all aircraft. Operators must meet the deadlines indicated for each case in the compliance section of Boeing’s technical bulletin, taking as reference the directive’s entry into force date when the FAA establishes it that way.
The U.S. authority estimates that the detailed inspection and adhesion test require about 34 hours of work per aircraft. With a labor cost calculated at 85 dollars per hour, the estimated cost amounts to 2,890 dollars per aircraft, not including possible additional repairs.
For the 60 U.S.-registered aircraft that the FAA calculates are affected, the estimated initial inspection cost amounts to $173,400. The agency warns that it does not have definitive data to calculate the cost of any repairs that may be necessary and notes that part of the expenses could be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
A limited safety order for certain units
The new directive falls within the airworthiness controls that the FAA uses to address technical problems detected in specific aircraft models. Its publication requires the operators included within its scope to carry out the checks provided for and to adopt corrective measures when necessary.
The order does not mean that all Boeing 787s must stop flying, nor does it, by itself, identify specific airlines as affected. To find out which aircraft for each operator are included, it is necessary to consult the technical identification of the units and the instructions sent to owners and operators.