Boeing this month announced a third delay to its 787 Dreamliner programme.

Valeurs Actuelles analyses how a “commercial success” turned into an “industrial fiasco”. The weekly, however, points out that delays to such ambitious projects are not surprising. Airbus also faced wiring and overweight issues on its A380. The Dreamliner is an innovative product, with more than 50 % of its frame made of composites. Its conception – assisted with advanced software- and its production –an extensive supply chain- were also seen as novelties. As a result, the Dreamliner won unprecedented success: nearly 900 orders even before the plane made its first flight. The programme also benefited from Airbus’s setbacks with its A380 and A350 XWB programmes, adds the magazine. Yet, Boeing faces a great challenge today. Its industrial strategy of outsourcing large sections (60-70 % of the 787) to several first-rank suppliers across the world has long been seen as a model, because it allows the group to significantly cut costs and seduce airlines whose countries are involved in the project. After a rivet shortage, further issues emerged when Boeing took delivery of the different sections for the first Dreamliner –to be assembled at the Everett factory- as these parts were not duly completed. The wiring of the aircraft also proved more complex than expected. Though many observers trust that Boeing will overcome these challenges, customers’ confidence is at stake. The plane maker also faces financial consequences as client airlines are expected to claim for compensation or rebates on future purchases. In a separate analysis, Air & Cosmos says the 787 Dreamliner programme is hit by the “A380 syndrome” and a shaken “industrial revolution”. The magazine calculates that the delays will cause a $ 17Bn loss in 2008-2010, as Boeing now expects to roll out “about 25” units in 2009, far from the 112 units initially forecast for fiscal 2008/09. Valeurs Actuelles, Air & Cosmos, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung