Repairs to improperly shimmed Boeing 787s will take "days, not months" per aircraft, said the airframer, as programme sources said the total number of affected aircraft now exceed 15.
Boeing again declined to say how many affected aircraft inspections had yielded, but said, "Our inspections are ongoing, but we do expect to have some level of finding on assembled airplanes."
Of the five 787s that have already been delivered to All Nippon Airways, Boeing said, "Because there is no short-term safety concern with this issue, there is no need to conduct the inspections or repairs on in-service airplanes immediately."
Inspections on the assembled 787s, some 50 airframes, will take "several days", Boeing added.
In the near-term, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO, Jim Albaugh, said 787 deliveries were likely to slow, but the company's forecast for delivering 35 to 42 787s in 2012 would be maintained.
Boeing disclosed 4 February improper shimming on longerons on the 787's Section 48 aft fuselage caused delaminations of the aircraft's carbon fibre composite skin in some instances.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
