More than 18 million seats in over 64,000 flights worldwide programmed for the next 30 days could be potentially affected by the mandatory inspections ordered by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of 895 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in operation worldwide, says Spanish travel analytics platform Mabrian.

In a press statement, Mabrian says that the FAA’s directive has come as a response to a March incident involving a sudden mid-air plunge of a LATAM Airlines’ Boeing 787-9, resulting in injuries to over 50 passengers.

According to its press statement, major airlines such as All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines and Air Europa, among others, will face significant challenges, potentially leading to global travel disruptions. 

The FAA announcement implies that inspections and corrective actions should be performed in the potentially loose or non-functional rocker switch caps or switch cover assemblies on the back of the captain’s and first officer’s seats  of certain Boeing 787-8, 9, and 10 airplanes, currently operating worldwide. 

This malfunction is allegedly behind five similar incidents, two still under investigation.

Mabrian says the impact of this aircraft recall is based on the analysis of the scheduled flights and seats on programmed routes for the next month, of all Boeing 787 aircrafts affected by the FAA’s Airworthiness Directive (AD), issued on August 20. 

Data shows that over 64,000 flights, equivalent to slightly more than 18 million seats, could be compromised, and 92 pc of such flights are scheduled in 787-8 and 787-9 models. 

In terms of availability, 58 pc of total seats affected are scheduled in 787-9 aircrafts, and over a third in 787-8 planes. 

Carlos Cendra

“This mandatory inspection will not imply to land all planes at the same time, as airlines have 30 days to complete it and fix any malfunction, but it will pose a massive challenge in an already tight summer and post summer schedule, that could cause delays and cancellations worldwide,”  says Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Maketing and Communications at Mabrian.

Mabrian says that the air carriers that should have to cushion a larger impact derived from this FAA’s directive will be All Nippon Airways and Qatar Airways, as well as Hainan Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines. 

Among the list of airlines that should have to manage their schedules in the next month to attend this mandatory inspection are relevant Asian carriers such as Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, or key airlines catering to Middle East and Asia long-haul routes, such as Etihad Airways and Turkish Airlines.

Mabrian adds that world carriers that connect America and Europe, in particular, United Airlines, as well as American Airlines, Air Canada, LATAM Airlines, and Air Europa will also be forced to reorganise seats and flights in the coming 30 days.