Boeing 787 Launch to Be Delayed Again

Dreamliner situation – April 10, 2008
Boeing Co. pushed back its oft-delayed 787 jetliner by another six months Wednesday, postponing the jet’s debut in commercial service until the third quarter of 2009, further jolting the company’s credibility and likely costing it billions of dollars in additional costs and penalties.
The latest delays – the third revision to its delivery schedule and fourth switch in the plans for first test flight – underscore the problems Boeing is having keeping to a schedule while

Investors brace for what might be an additional six-month delay

Dreamliner situation – April 07, 2008
Boeing Co. investors are bracing for more disappointment this week as the aircraft maker plans to issue a revised timeline for its troubled 787 Dreamliner, possibly delaying the airliner’s first delivery by an additional six months.
Chicago-based Boeing has scheduled an update on the next-generation airliner for Wednesday morning. Boeing has repeatedly hit production snags on the aircraft and already has delayed the 787’s first flight and deliveries because of supplier missteps.
Analysts and investors have been losing confidence in Boeing’s ability to execute the 787 program,

Boeing Again Delays 787 Dreamliner First Flight and Delivery Plans; First flight moved into fourth-quarter 2008

Dreamliner situation – April 09, 2008
Boeing announced a revised plan for first flight and initial deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner that includes additional schedule margin to reduce risk of further delays on the program.
While significant progress has been made assembling Airplane #1, first flight is being rescheduled due to slower than expected completion of work that traveled from supplier facilities into Boeing’s final assembly line, unanticipated rework, and the addition of margin into the testing schedule. The new delivery schedule is based on a more conservative production plan developed with the 787 partner team. That schedule now targets approximately 25 deliveries in 2009.

Customers Disappointed at Boeing Delays

Dreamliner situation. April 10, 2008.
Boeing customers expressed disappointment but no surprise Thursday at the latest delay in delivery of the U.S. company’s flagship 787 jetliner – and they want compensation.
Some carriers said the delays would not affect their operations because they had already been factored in and contingency plans organized, including leasing planes from Boeing’s rival, Airbus. Others said they were still assessing the potential impact.
Chicago-based Boeing Co. said it was pushing back its 787 deliveries by another six months,

What Cost A Dreamliner Deferred, Airlines Ask

Dreamliner situation, April 10, 2008.
Taken as a group, Asian airlines are the largest customer for Boeing’s new commercial aircraft, the 787 “Dreamliner.” Now, they also stand to bear the brunt of the costs associated with the just announced third delay in the delivery of this fuel-efficient midsized plane.
Together, Asian airline companies account for nearly a third of the Dreamliner’s order book of 892 planes thus far. Two airliners in the Asia/Pacific region–Japan’s All Nippon Airways and Australia’s Qantas Airways –might be particularly affected by the fresh delay Boeing notified its customers about Wednesday, owing to the large numbers of orders they placed with the manufacturer.