Boeing Revises 787 First Flight and Delivery Plans

Yes, it's official the 787 program has come upon another delay as Boeing is trying to let us down easy by adding slack in their delivery schedule to avoid any other delays. PointNiner brought you this information weeks ago when a "large purchaser" of the 787 reported upcoming delays due to retrofits of the center wingbox.

To put it in Boeing's terms: the first flight has been rescheduled because of slower than anticipated completion of work that came from all over via the Dreamhauler into Boeing's final assembly line, unanticipated rework (wingbox), and the addition of margins into the testing schedule.

The new (revised) delivery schedule is based on a more conservative production plan developed with all of the 787 partners. Boeing now expects to have a first flight of Airplane #1 in the fourth quarter 2008 (instead of the second quarter 2008), with a first delivery planned for the third quarter 2009 (instead of the first quarter 2009). That schedule now targets approximately 25 deliveries in 2009.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the 787 and Boeing aircraft, however, what has happened here is simply this: Boeing used to have balls and they have lost them. They have lost their way.

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