We're beginning to think we may never fly on one of Boeing's new Dreamliners. The company announced this morning that it's yet again pushing back the debut of its fancy, fuel-efficient 787s, saying it'll get them off the ground by the end of 2008. That means the first commercial flights won't happen until well into 2009.
The news is sad for plane geeks like us, but it could be worse. Some airlines, like Australia's Jetstar, have tied their expansion plans to the 787. No new planes means no new routes--and no new cash rolling in.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are also among the carriers affected. No doubt all three airlines are hoping this is the last of the game-killing delays.
Airlines the world over are waiting for Boeing to finish building its new 787s, and with delivery now set for 2009 at the earliest, Jetstar, for one, is canceling flights. The Qantas spinoff that's supposed to challenge Virgin Blue will have to wait until 2010 to start flying its European service.
But the carrier won't simply stand for these business-killing delays; Qantas is seeking damages from Boeing, which said it would have the first 15 787s out to Australia by May 2009. We don't know how much cash the airline will be asking for, but CEO Alan Joyce cares about more than just money:
We will get compensation from Boeing for the delay. [But] we are disappointed because we would rather be flying the aircraft.
The eagerly anticipated Dreamliner airplane from Boeing (also known as the 787) won't be in service until sometime in 2009.
Test flights for the massive plane were delayed again until July, the second such delay for the Dreamliner. Deliveries won't happen until early 2009, meaning you won't fly one of these bad boys 'til mid-2009 at the earliest.
Production delays and parts shortages are mostly to blame for the push-back.
Boeing is building more than half of the plane with carbon- fiber composites instead of aluminum, making it the first airliner of its kind. The Dreamliner is also Boeing's first attempt at a production process where suppliers deliver fully completed wing and fuselage parts.
"Completing the first plane is setting the pace to first flight,'' 787 program manager Pat Shanahan said on the call.``If anything has been learned here, it's how long it will take to complete somebody else's work. We thought we could modify our final assembly system to accommodate suppliers' work. We were wrong.''
Meanwhile Airbus SAS has some company in the mega-airplane delays department. Their widebody A350 (an answer to the Dreamliner) won't deliver until 2013. But at least they still have the A380.
The revolution will be at 35,000 feet, if Boeing Dreamliner has anything to say about it. While we are taking a wait-for-the-August-test-flights approach to this whole 787 craze, there were plenty of airlines that thought Boeing's big bird and pony show was worth a multi-million dollar airplane order check.
Qantas, Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic, and All Nippon Airways, who will bet the first to offer 787 commercial service in May 2008 all bought what Boeing was selling.
The plane seats up to 330 passengers and is capable of flying long-haul routes using up to 20% less fuel.
Yesterday, on 7.8.07, Boening's new 787 Dreamliner debuted in Everett Washington in a scene that reminded us of the Emperor's arrival on the Death Star at the beginning of Return of the Jedi. Point being, it was definitely an odd scene. Don't believe us? Just watch the video above.
To date, Boeing has won 677 order for the 787, on deliveries through 2015. Air Berlin, Kuwait Airways, and All Nippon Airways are amongst the buyers.
The 787, Boeing's first all-new jet since airlines started flying the 777 in 1995, will be the world's first large commercial airplane made mostly of carbon-fiber composites, which are lighter, heftier, and don't rust as easily--sounds fair enough. .
The Dreamliner is scheduled to enter service in the spring of 2008 and the first test flights will take place in late August or early September of this year.
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by pbb
