Q: What's at stake for Boeing?
A: Any more production delays could further upset the airlines that are eager to start flying the plane and cost Boeing millions of dollars in contractual penalties. If major changes are needed, the plane might weigh more, cutting its fuel efficiency. Orders could shift to the Airbus A350.
Q: What other problems could this mean for Boeing?
A: The 787's long range is one of its main selling points. The FAA limits how far twin-engine airplanes can fly so if the jet loses one engine, it can still fly long enough to make an emergency landing. The 787 already has approval for flights up to three hours away from any airport. Boeing wants to raise that to 5.5 hours, opening up routes across the Pacific. The FAA could now delay that approval.
Q: How is Boeing faring as a company? Is it making money? How's the stock price doing?
A: It's expected to report a 2012 profit later this month. Boeing reported a $1.39 billion profit for 2011, up from $1.16 billion in 2010. Almost half of its business is from defense.
Boeing shares fell $1.93, or 2.5 percent, to close Friday at $75.16. Over the past year, they've traded between $66.82 and $78.02. They've fallen 3.3 percent in the one week since the fire.
Q: What does Wall Street think?
A: Citi analyst Kevin Gursky has kept a "buy" rating on Boeing Co. stock. Over the long run, he says, faster production of the 787 and other planes should generate cash that benefits shareholders.
Soon after the fire, BB&T analyst Carter Leake cut his rating on Boeing to "hold." In an interview on Friday, he said he expects Boeing to fix any problems with the 787, but that investors can benefit from growth in the aerospace industry by owning shares in other companies.
Q: What are passengers saying?
Passengers flying the 787 don't appear to be worried about safety, saying they expect a new plane to have some issues.
In Seattle, Adam Welch was excited for his first flight on a Dreamliner. He heard the news about the FAA's review and "was just hoping they didn't ground the plane I was supposed to fly on." As for the 787's problems, he said the plane has been experiencing "growing pains."
Donald Crump from Auburn, N.H., was at Boston's Logan International Airport Friday, checking in for his third 787 flight. He called the plane's problems "minor" and said the FAA review was "the politically correct thing to do." Crump likes the 787 because the well-lit and climate-controlled cabin provides passengers "a much more pleasing environment to travel in."
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Associated Press writers Joshua Freed in Minneapolis, Joan Lowy in Washington, Rodrique Ngowi in Boston and Manuel Valdes in Seattle contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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