FAA orders inspections of certain Boeing 787s

The FAA published a final airworthiness directive on August 26 requiring repetitive ultrasonic and detailed inspections of certain Boeing 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 jets after a Boeing investigation found shim gaps at lower side-of-body splice plates that may have exceeded engineering allowances. The agency said high assembly pull-up forces could allow fatigue cracks to form at fastener holes and, if unaddressed, weaken primary wing structure. The rule is estimated to cover 17 U.S.-registered aircraft; Boeing said it identified an outdated shim-measurement method in 2019, corrected it in production, issued updated operator guidance in August 2025, and that affected airplanes can continue normal operations while inspections proceed.