Boeing delays
787 deliveries by six months
Boeing has announced a six-month delay in its planned initial
deliveries of the 787 citing continued challenges completing
assembly of the first airplanes.
Deliveries are now slated to begin in late November or December
2008, versus an original target of May 2008. All Nippon Airways is
the launch customer for the twinjet.
First flight is now anticipated around the end of first quarter,
says the manufacturer in a statement.
The company says the financial impact of the delay will not be
material to earnings and that its earnings guidance for 2007 and
2008 remained unchanged.
We are disappointed over the schedule changes that we are
announcing today says Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney.
Notwithstanding the challenges that we are experiencing in
bringing forward this game-changing product, we remain confident in
the design of the 787, and in the fundamental innovation and
technologies that underpin it.
Early last month, Boeing announced a delay in the planned first
flight of the 787, citing ongoing challenges with out-of-sequence
production work, including parts shortages, and remaining software
and systems integration activities.
The newly revised schedule for first flight and first delivery
addresses the production challenges and restores margin for the
program to deal with issues that may be uncovered in final ground
or flight testing, says Boeing, adding that flight control
software and systems integration activities are not pacing items
in the revised schedule for first flight.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes president Scott Carson says the company
deeply regrets the impact these delays will have on customers, and
that the airframer is committed to working with them to minimize
any disruption to their plans.
