News: Further delays to Dreamliner test flights

Flights > News > # 1652 (18/01/2008)

Boeing has announced further delays to the first test flights of its new Dreamliner airplane.
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 has now been held back until June. The test flight delays means that airlines will not start receiving the state-of-the-art plane until 2009 at the earliest.
Boeing president, Scott Carson, said: “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.
“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.”
UK airlines which have ordered the Dreamliner include British Airways, which has ordered 24, Virgin Atlantic (15) and charter carriers Monarch and First Choice Airways.
British Airways has ordered both the Dreamliner 787 and the new Airbus A380 double-decker superjumbo. It expects the planes to be delivered between 2010 and 2014.
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 predicted to be significantly less polluting and quieter than the aircraft it supercedes.