Boeing 787 groundings to worsen on engine checks, Rolls-Royce says

Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc. is expecting a sharp increase in the number of Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner planes that will have to be grounded because of faults with the engine maker’s Trent 1000 turbine.

The spike will occur ahead of a deadline next month for mandated inspections forced by durability problems, Rolls said in an emailed statement. The number of parked Dreamliners is expected to peak at about 50 from the current level of 35, a person familiar with the matter said, as the aircraft await repairs.

About 80 percent of the Package C engine variant, which debuted with Boeing’s marquee 787-9 jetliner, have undergone initial checks for cracking or signs of wear and tear on turbine blades, the person said. Just under a third of those engines have failed the initial checks required by regulators for planes that fly more than two hours and 20 minutes from the nearest diversionary airport.

“We fully recognize the unacceptable levels of disruption our customers are facing,” Chris Cholerton, the company’s president of civil aerospace, said in the statement. “While we expect the number of aircraft affected to rise in the short term as the deadline for the completion of initial inspections approaches, we are confident that we have the right building blocks in place to tackle the additional workload.”

Shorter routes The engine woes have prompted some carriers to place their 787s on shorter routes, giving them more operating time ahead of a June 9 inspection deadline mandated by the Federal