Boeing delays Dreamliner flights

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Boeing will not begin test flights on its new Dreamliner airplane until as late as June, and airlines will not receive the plane until early 2009.

Tests flights of the Dreamliner 787 were originally scheduled for late summer 2007, but the date was then put back until March this year and now a further delay has been announced.

“The fundamental design and technologies of the 787 remain sound. However, we continue to be challenged by start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supply-chain,” explains Boeing president and ceo, Scott Carson.

“We are deeply disappointed by what this delay means for our customers, and we are committed to working closely with them as we assess the impact on our delivery schedules,” Carson adds.

UK airlines which have ordered the Dreamliner include British Airways, which has ordered 24, Virgin Atlantic (15) and charter airlines Monarch and First Choice Airways.

British Airways has ordered both the Dreamliner 787 and the new double-decker superjumbo, the Airbus A380. It expects the planes to be delivered between 2010 and 2014.

The first airline in the world to receive the new Dreamliner will be All Nippon Airways, the Japanese airline. Because of the latest delay announced by Boeing All Nippon Airways is now unlikely to start flights on the Dreamliner until sometime in 2009.

More than 800 Dreamliners have been ordered by airlines around the world, making it the most successful new airplane in aviation history. The 787 can fly medium and long haul and is significantly cleaner and less noisy than the aircraft it supercedes.

Written by: Nick Purdom

 

Feel like a VIP when you book an airport lounge at an unbeatable price through Holiday Extras



Search Our Site
Holiday Extras Header
Help &
Support
Boeing Delays Dreamliner Flights