Boeing will have to redesign parts of its 787 Dreamliner.

During aJP Morgan conference last week, Steven Udvar-Hazy, CEO of US aircraft leasing groupILFC, the 787’s largest customer, said that the first deliveries of the aircraft would be delayedanother six months. While production issues were behind the first two delay announcements,this new postponement would be due to design mishaps. In response, Boeing acknowledgedthat it would have to redesign parts of its new 787 Dreamliner, but said it was sticking to itsmost recent guidelines. Boeing will make a normal adjustment, part of the development of anew aircraft. Mr Udvar-Hazy said he expected delivery to be postponed to the end of the thirdquarter of 2009, compared with Boeing’s most recent guidance for early 2009. Investors didnot seem too concerned about these declarations and the Boeing share resisted the globaldecline of the financial market. According to Le Figaro, Boeing’s communication actually iscentred on playing down problems but without hiding them, which is the best way to preservethe group’s stock. But the coverage of the French paper is quite fierce with Boeing. It saysthat Boeing’s justification for the first flight’s delay had left analysts sceptical. Besides,attentive observers could have noticed that, for the plane’s roll-out in August 7, the prototypewas badly and quickly assembled, only to shine in front of cameras and reassure investors.Le Figaro adds that Boeing’s delays can not compare with what Airbus knew with the A380.The problems are much more serious.
Reuters (20/03), Les Echos (21/03), Le Figaro Economie,Frankfurter Allgemeine (22/03), la Tribune, La Croix