http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-15/boeing-says-787-delivery-may-be-delayed-until-2011.html
July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. said the initial delivery of the 787 Dreamliner, now more than two years behind schedule, may be pushed back until the first weeks of 2011 instead of later this year as flight-test delays accumulate.
Boeing is still working “with laser focus” to get the twin-engine jet to the first customer, Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co., by the end of 2010, Scott Fancher, the 787 program chief, said today on a conference call with reporters.
“We’re seeing enough pressure that we just want to communicate a cautionary note,” Fancher said.
The Dreamliner’s entry into service has been postponed five times since October 2007 amid Chicago-based Boeing’s struggles with new materials, parts shortages, redesign work and a new manufacturing process that relies more on suppliers. The plane is the first airliner built mostly of composite plastics.
All Nippon said last month it expected to receive its first 787 in November. Kaz Watanabe, a spokesman in Los Angeles for the Tokyo-based carrier, said he wasn’t aware of the delay and couldn’t comment.
Boeing fell 28 cents to $64.47 at 1:25 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Boeing, which is still running flight tests, has found it need more time than expected to change instruments required for tests as the jet awaits certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, Fancher said. Workers also are doing more quality inspections than planned, he said.
The latest glitch, a supplier’s improper installation of some tail parts that was discovered last month, has further eaten into the schedule’s margin, Fancher said.
Boeing’s sixth and final test jet won’t be airborne until sometime next month, Fancher said. That’s about two months later than planned.
“The airplane continues to perform very well and we’ve found nothing in flight tests to diminish our confidence,” Fancher said. The model made its maiden flight in December.
July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. said the initial delivery of the 787 Dreamliner, now more than two years behind schedule, may be pushed back until the first weeks of 2011 instead of later this year as flight-test delays accumulate.
Boeing is still working “with laser focus” to get the twin-engine jet to the first customer, Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co., by the end of 2010, Scott Fancher, the 787 program chief, said today on a conference call with reporters.
“We’re seeing enough pressure that we just want to communicate a cautionary note,” Fancher said.
The Dreamliner’s entry into service has been postponed five times since October 2007 amid Chicago-based Boeing’s struggles with new materials, parts shortages, redesign work and a new manufacturing process that relies more on suppliers. The plane is the first airliner built mostly of composite plastics.
All Nippon said last month it expected to receive its first 787 in November. Kaz Watanabe, a spokesman in Los Angeles for the Tokyo-based carrier, said he wasn’t aware of the delay and couldn’t comment.
Boeing fell 28 cents to $64.47 at 1:25 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Boeing, which is still running flight tests, has found it need more time than expected to change instruments required for tests as the jet awaits certification by the Federal Aviation Administration, Fancher said. Workers also are doing more quality inspections than planned, he said.
The latest glitch, a supplier’s improper installation of some tail parts that was discovered last month, has further eaten into the schedule’s margin, Fancher said.
Boeing’s sixth and final test jet won’t be airborne until sometime next month, Fancher said. That’s about two months later than planned.
“The airplane continues to perform very well and we’ve found nothing in flight tests to diminish our confidence,” Fancher said. The model made its maiden flight in December.
