Boeing confirms further 3-month 787 delivery delay

787 first flight. Photo: Courtesy, Boeing.

Boeing early Friday confirmed ATW Daily News's report that it has been informing customers of a further three-month delay in 787 first deliveries. Kenya Airways Group MD and CEO Titus Naikuni told this website Thursday in Nairobi that Boeing had informed him of the delay (ATW Daily News, Aug. 27). The manufacturer said in a short statement that it "now expects delivery of the first 787 in the middle of the first quarter 2011." It had been targeting first delivery to launch customer ANA during the 2010 fourth quarter.

It continued, "The delivery date revision follows an assessment of the availability of an engine needed for the final phases of flight test this fall. While Boeing works closely with Rolls-Royce to expedite engine availability, flight testing across the test fleet continues as planned." Boeing noted that it warned last month that "the cumulative impact of a series of issues, including supplier workmanship issues related to the horizontal stabilizer and instrumentation delays could push first delivery of the 787 a few weeks into 2011" (ATW Daily News, July 16). It said "a delay in engine availability" finally pushed it to officially extend its "estimate" of first delivery to "mid-first quarter 2011."

Rolls said in a statement that it "has been informed by Boeing that the currently planned dates for Trent 1000 engine deliveries will not support their latest flight test program requirements. We are working closely with Boeing to expedite delivery in support of their program schedule."

Rolls had said that the Aug. 18 failure of one of its Trent 1000 engines on a test bed would have no impact on the 787's EIS (ATW Daily News, Aug. 26).

Boeing said "the schedule revision will not affect the company's financial guidance."

The latest postponement marks the seventh time Boeing has delayed the Dreamliner program (ATW Daily News, June 24, 2009), and the first official delay since it started flight testing in December (ATW Daily News, Dec. 15, 2009).