WASHINGTON — Boeing said on Monday that operators of its 787 Dreamliner jetliners had experienced paint peeling issues on the wings and horizontal stabilizer surfaces due to ultraviolet radiation exposure and asked U.S. regulators to approve its plan to address the issue.
The announcement is the most recent evidence of exterior problems on the latest carbon-composite jets as Europe's Airbus faces a $2 billion London court battle with Qatar Airways over the deteriorating surface of its competing A350.
Airbus argues it is a generic but harmless problem stemming from the way paint and carbon interact, while Qatar Airways, which operates both competing types, blames a deeper A350 defect potentially weakening lightning protection on those jets alone.
Both manufacturers insist the lightweight models are safe.
Until now, Boeing's interim fix has involved repeated use of "speed tape" over affected areas. That led some passengers to post photos online of 787 wings with tape and raise concerns.
Now, Boeing wants the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to approve its plan to incorporate a layer of ultraviolet- blocking black topcoat between the primer and the white topcoat.
"Even though the use of speed tape has no effect on the safety of the airplane, the public could perceive an unsafe condition when seeing tape on the wing surfaces," Boeing told the FAA in a regulatory filing made public on Monday.
