DN Staff

December 11, 2008

1 Min Read
Boeing Resets 787 Dreamliner First Flight Schedule

A surprise to no one, Boeing has pushed back the first flight ofthe 787 Dreamliner to the second quarter and the first deliveries to the firstquarter of 2010, blaming this delay on the 58-day machinists strike and "fastenerreplacement work."

First flight was set for this quarter, but BoeingCFO James Bell had warned the strike would delay it at least by thenumber days in the strike. As reportedin Design News, as many as 8,000fasteners have to be replaced in the first 12 Dreamliners underconstruction.

"We must adjust our schedule for these two unexpected disruptions,"Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Scott Carson said in a press release.

While many problems could still derail the latest timetable adjustment,787 Program Vice President Pat Shanahan spoke unusually strongly through thepress release about making first flight by the second quarter.

"We're laser focused on what needs to be done to prepare for firstflight. We will overcome this set ofcircumstances as we have others in the past, and we understand clearly whatneeds to be done," he said.

Indeed, it has been tough sledding for Boeing to get the 787 in the air.For the first time in its myriad releases about the 787, Boeing hedged byinserting in large type at the bottom of the release:

"Forward-LookingInformation Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty"

Indeed.

Sign up for the Design News Daily newsletter.

You May Also Like