April 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) is investigating a Boeing ( BA ) whistleblower's

claims that the company dismissed safety and quality concerns in

the production of the planemaker's 787 and 777 jets, an agency

spokesperson said Tuesday.

Boeing ( BA ) engineer Sam Salehpour identified engineering

problems that affect the structural integrity of the jets and

claimed Boeing ( BA ) employed shortcuts to reduce bottlenecks during

the 787 assembly process, his attorneys said in a release.

"Rather than heeding his warnings, Boeing ( BA ) prioritized

getting the planes to market as quickly as possible, despite the

known, well-substantiated issues he raised," said attorneys

Debra Katz and Lisa Banks in a Tuesday statement.

The FAA investigation was first reported by the New York

Times.

In a statement, Boeing ( BA ) said it was fully confident in the

787 Dreamliner, adding that the claims "are inaccurate and do

not represent the comprehensive work Boeing ( BA ) has done to ensure

the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."