Aviation

Boeing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Reach Agreement on Cost Reduction for 787 Production

SEATTLE, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) today announced an agreement to strengthen collaboration in ways that will enhance both companies’ competitiveness. The agreement includes efforts to reduce costs in MHI production of wings for the 787 Dreamliner and joint studies of advanced aerostructure technologies for future-generation commercial aircraft.

MHI manufactures 787 composite wings at its factory in Nagoya. The agreement aims to enable sales by pursuing increased efficiency in MHI’s production system and its supply chain through lean production methods, automation and other activities.

“This agreement advances the strong relationship between Boeing and MHI through joint efforts to reduce cost and improve efficiency, with a focus on MHI’s production for the 787 Dreamliner,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister. “Collaboration with suppliers is at the heart of our Partnering for Success efforts, positioning our companies to win in today’s competitive marketplace and look ahead to future opportunities.”

“We are delighted to be enhancing the competitiveness of our commercial aircraft business with this agreement,” said Shunichi Miyanaga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. “We have built our partnership with Boeing over more than 40 years, collaborating on various aircraft programs including the 737, 747, 767, 777, 787 Dreamliner and state-of-the-art 777X and look forward to cooperating to explore future opportunities.”

MHI’s work statement for Boeing Commercial Airplanes also includes fuselage sections for the 767, 777 and 777X programs. In total, about 150 Japanese companies are suppliers to Boeing across its commercial and defense product lines. Boeing procures approximately $5 billion worth of goods and services from Japan every year, and Boeing-related work supports tens of thousands of highly skilled aerospace jobs in the United States and Japan.

Related Topics:Boeing Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”