Passenger freaks out at duct tape on plane wings, experts defend speed tape quick fix

The passenger snapped a photo of the tape, stuck down across the wing 787 departing from Melbourne. Photo / postpakAU, Reddit

A Jetstar passenger was alarmed at the view from his window seat, showing what appeared to be strips of duct tape holding the wing together.

To his credit, the brave passenger stayed put and the taped plane safely arrived in Phuket, without issue. However he could not work out what the patchwork of silver gaffer tape was doing on the wing.

Taking to Reddit on Sunday evening, the passenger asked, is this “Speed Tape” on the old 787?

Aviation fans were quick to respond. These strips of tape were clearly not go-faster stripes. With the rough sided material having nothing to do with plane performance, others said that it was likely an ongoing issue with the paint work on Boeing 787s.

Jetstar and other airlines were forced to adopt the quick fix to prevent further wear and tear from flaking paint.

Speed tape: A quick fix to Boeing's ongoing flakey paint issues. Photo / postpakAU, Reddit

Known as ‘speed tape’ in the aerospace industry, it has nothing to do with making the plane go any faster.

Rather than duct tape, it is actually specialised aluminium-backed, pressure-resistant tape according to aviation safety consultant, John Nance.

“It is not something that would be used to hold together two parts of the aeroplane,” he told Traveller following a couple of similar repair jobs on Qantas aircraft.

“you don’t want anything peeling back further than it might already have started peeling back.”

Last year in response to the batch issue with Boeing’s flakey 787s the US FAA issued a statement that tape should be used “‘for temporary, minor repairs to nonstructural aircraft components”.

Not a good look: Qantas said there was a less worrying reason for taped-up wings. Photo / Twitter; WakehamDavid

In early 2022 Air New Zealand was forced to replace its Dreamliner fleet with 777s while the flakey aircraft were repainted.

‘’It’s a worldwide fleet issue. We’ve worked with Boeing to work up a solution and the 777 (cover) will allow the aircraft to go nose to tail to facility in North America to be able to be repainted,’’ Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan, told the Herald.

Boeing said it was addressing the peeling issue, after airlines started noticing the issue, but it would “not affect the structural integrity of the wing” nor “affect the safety of the flight.”

Not every airline has been able to repaint their fleet of 787s. Last year paintwork was the least of Jetstar’s Dreamliner worries after parts shortages and technical issues forced them to ground half of their 11-plane fleet.