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Boeing's 787 On The Backburner Possibly 'Til 2010

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]