Boeing poised to deliver 787 jets after five-month drought

Boeing Co. is poised to resume delivering its 787 Dreamliners this week, ending a five-month halt while the planemaker’s mechanics searched for tiny structural flaws in the carbon-fiber aircraft, said people familiar with the matter.

The initial delivery is expected as soon as Friday, with Boeing likely to hand over two or three of the wide-body jets this month, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the matter is confidential.

Shares of the aircraft manufacturer reversed early declines and rose as much as 1.7% on the news. The stock traded up 1.5% to $242.83 as of 11:52 a.m. in New York.

The renewed jetliner shipments will ease the uncertainty that had been building around Boeing’s most advanced aircraft. The delivery drought added to Boeing’s cash pressures, with more than 80 undelivered Dreamliners stacked up around company factories and in a desert storage lot in Victorville, California.

“We continue to expect to resume delivering 787s by the end of March,” Boeing said in an emailed statement, without providing specific timing. “However, we will continue to take the time necessary and will adjust any delivery plans as needed. We remain in constant and transparent communication with our customers and regulators.”