FAA orders Boeing 787 fuel leak inspections

The US Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it was ordering inspections of all Boeing 787 Dreamliners in service worldwide following reports of fuel leaks.

"The FAA is issuing an immediately effective airworthiness directive on Boeing 787s following reports of two in-service fuel leaks on aircraft operated by foreign airlines," the regulator said in a statement.

The leaks were the result of improperly assembled fuel couplings, the FAA said.

The airworthiness directive "requires inspection of fuel line couplings in the engine pylons to verify the couplings are correctly assembled and installed."

The 787 Dreamliner was first delivered to Japanese launch customer All Nippon Airways in October 2011.

There are 36 787s currently in service, the FAA said, 36 with foreign operators and three with United Airlines, the only US operator.

(c) 2012 AFP