Originally Posted by
kilomikedelta
I fail to see why everyone is assuming that getting the 787 back in the air for commercial service is an engineering issue. Boeing's (the marketing company) only fiduciary interest is to its shareholders. The annoyance of airworthiness certification is easily dealt with by reminding the FAA (who are political appointees) upon which side of their bread is buttered by members of Congress whose electorate have employment related to the 787 and therefore future votes. Chicago is well aware that the stock market has a shorter memory than the families of a few dead passengers and crew.
I would agree with all of this, and it is shameful that the FAA has gone this way. However, the bulk of the 787s are for export rather than for the US market. It will be interesting to see what the JAA/CAA make of the first ones arriving in Europe (which appear to be the Thomsonfly ones, with the BA order following shortly afterwards). They do not have the political dominance, and on past history the fact that many have Rolls-Royce engines counts for little in the technical evaluation.
Actually I think the certifying organisation to watch for upsetting the Boeing-FAA applecart will be the Japanese. They have half the initial deliveries, and they had both the major fires.