BOEING Co has dispatched a prominent executive to help Rolls-Royce Holdings plc work through escalating engine problems that have grounded dozens of 787 Dreamliners.
Keith Leverkuhn is serving as Boeing’s eyes and ears at Rolls factories in Singapore and Derby, England, where the Trent 1000 engine is manufactured and being repaired. Mr Leverkuhn, an engineer with expertise in propulsion, is best-known for steering Boeing’s 737 Max through development to its commercial debut a year ago, months ahead of schedule.
Mr Leverkuhn’s special assignment to Rolls signals the importance Boeing is placing on containing the disruption to its marquee jetliner – and placating airline customers as the crucial summer travel season approaches.
About 34 Dreamliners are parked and awaiting repaired engines, and the number is at risk of rising in the coming months, said people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the details are private.
«We’re managing our assets both on the production line and in field support to try and minimise impact to our global airline customers,» Boeing chief executive officer Dennis Muilenburg said on the sidelines of the manufacturer’s April 30 annual meeting.
«This is very important to us. While the new engines going into the production system are not affected, engines in the installed fleet around the world – they need our attention.»
It’s not unusual for aerospace manufacturers to deploy teams of engineers or mechanics to help struggling suppliers to troubleshoot problems. Less common is Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief Kevin McAllister’s decision to divert a vice president like Mr Leverkuhn, 57, from an assignment to shepherd the upgraded version of the 737, the company’s biggest source of profit…
