787 Dreamliner headed for additional delays
16 Jan 2008
Boeing is expected to announce an additional delay to the prestigious 787 Dreamliner programme which, according to industry sources, could be delayed by as much as three months. Boeing's stock price dropped nearly 5% late yesterday as reports emerged on the websites of The Wall Street Journal and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Boeing has not commented on the development.
Industry sources suggest that Boeing may also reveal that there will be no 787 deliveries this year at all.
A roll out ceremony in July last year had revealed the first signs of trouble with the aircraft on display being held together by temporary fasteners and missing its flight control system software and other key parts.
Boeing has detailed numerous problems with its global supply chain. It also has contended with a global fastener shortage.
The 787's first delivery to Japanese carrier ANA was delayed by six months, but Boeing had claimed in December that the manufacturer would be able to meet a revised schedule that included first flight by the end of the 2008 first quarter, first delivery in late November or December 2008 and 109 deliveries in 2009.
Industry analysts are wondering whether its Boeing turn to emulate rival Airbus' experience with the A380 super jumbo, which eventually rolled out two years behind schedule, and also $6 billion over budget.