It’s pretty clear that engineers and executives at Boeing only want one thing for Christmas, and that’s for the 787 to finally take flight for the first time. We’ve been going back and forth on when this thing will finally test things out, and once again, it seems like there just might be some good news.

The whole wing connecting to the body problem seems to have been resolved, and it sounds like no parts will fall off during a test flight, which is great news. Just to make sure, there will be all kinds of stress tests on the ground to ensure that these wings can withstand the pressures of flight, turbulence, and probably a lot worse. ]]> kjb 2009-11-20T09:20:03-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/15/115245/35

Become an informed consumer while still on vacation! Check out Jaunted's newest series of the best factory tours the world over.

We'll admit, today's featured factory tour may be more of our dream than yours. After all, you can ride in airplanes constantly without needing to know where they, so to speak, come from; it's that old saw about watching the sausage get made. But we've always wanted to go to the Future of Flight, and we envy the lucky travel writers who have already been to Boeing's pricey but exciting factory tour. ]]> egw 2009-10-15T13:14:03-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/23/21226/9984

We’re all about praising new startup airlines with their fancy new menus, in-flight WiFi, and other nouveau niceties. But we do still have a place in our hearts for the classics, and that’s why we are a little sad to see United Airlines’ last Boeing 737 fly off into the sunset. The Airbus A320 is the new kid in town, but we’ll definitely miss the good old days of listening to Channel 9 and having to rely solely on the safety card in the seatback pocket for in-flight entertainment.

The last flight of their Boeing 737-300 will be on October 28, and fittingly, it will be flight number 737. The old bird will take off from Washington Dulles, make stops at ORD, DEN, and LAX, before finishing its career at SFO. San Francisco is where the airline will start stripping the plane of all the good bits and pieces before sending it out to pasture in Victorville, California. It’s been a long 41 years for the plane, and despite the forced retirement, United wants to send it off with a little fanfare. ]]> kjb 2009-09-24T08:58:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/13/82615/7257

Summer has already been a bloodbath for the airline industry, and now new projections are showing a grim situation all the way through 2011. These figures are coming from Boeing and Airbus, two companies who agree on nothing except the very high probability that they're in trouble:

International air travel, whacked by the economic downturn, is starting to stabilize but may not recover until 2011 as companies and passengers continue to scale back.... Airlines have racked up massive losses since the global economic crisis led companies to curb travel and shipping and consumers cut back on trips. Carriers, their losses already $6 billion in first six months of the year, are set to lose a total of $9 billion for all of 2009, according to the International Air Transport Association.

]]> Omri 2009-09-14T17:33:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/4/51359/10417

Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man might have said that Qantas never crashed, but these days he'd be changing his tune. This week Aussie airline Qantas announced that they will retire a few of their ageing Boeing 747s in November, and we're not alone in wondering exactly why.

One of the 747s in particular has been labeled "jinxed" after it was involved in a mid-air explosion last year and an engine shutdown this week that forced a diversion to Perth and had the pilot land with only three engines going. ]]> amandak 2009-09-04T08:39:46-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/31/73234/9023

If you’re getting sick of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner saga, just let us know, because we’re almost over it ourselves. We thought things would be grounded until 2010, but now Boeing is claiming that the long delayed plane will fire up its first test flight by the end of this year. This is great news for airplane dorks like us, and for All Nippon Airways, as they’ve got first dibs on the new bird.

Industry analysts were thinking that Boeing wouldn’t be able to deliver the goods until 2011 at the earliest, but after test flights later this year (if they happen), the first deliveries should be happening late in 2010. Even with all the delays and trouble getting things off the ground, the plane is still expected to be a solid moneymaker for the company. ]]> kjb 2009-08-31T10:24:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/27/73837/6103

At this point in the 787 saga, we feel badly for Boeing and all the issues they’ve had with their next generation airplane. The 787 Dreamliner has been taunted with unkind nicknames, but let’s be honest, the constant delays are just adding fuel to the fire. During the company’s recent earnings conference call, CEO Jim McNerney was peppered with questions about his new pride and joy. However, like any good executive, he didn’t reveal anything too damning.

The company is still assessing how long it will take to repair the recently discovered flaws and issues with the new bird, which means it’s going to be pretty difficult to provide a first flight timeline, since they’re busy arguing over how long it will take to fix everything. The company did say that they hope to release an updated test and deliver schedule within “several weeks.”

Meanwhile, The Seattle Times cited a couple of Boeing engineers who stated that some of these issues will likely take four to six months to work out, and that the first flight could be pushed into 2010. To make matters worse, the CEO over at Qatar Air is talking junk and letting everyone know that Boeing has “lost its leadership.” He has a right to be a little pissed—his company has 60 of these new planes on order and he’s got nothing to show for it.

Related Stories:
· Boeing Doesn't Know Yet How Long 787 Fix Will Take [Seattle Times]
· Qatar Air CEO Says 'Boeing Has Lost Its Leadership' [USA Today]
· Boeing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Wikimedia] ]]> kjb 2009-07-27T08:34:24-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/