Firstflight of the Dreamliner Boeing 787 on December 15, 2009 - Photo by Dave Sizer
It is the most disappointing news from Boeing yet, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner will miss its first flight target, and this would be a fifth straight delay. The first 787 was to be delivered in the first quarter of 2011
The 250-seat Dreamliner is Boeing’s fastest-selling model and has an order balance of 865 units. The plane will also be the first airliner to have wings and fuselage made of composite plastics. This will make it lighter than conventional aircraft and could help it to achieve a savings of 20% in fuel consumption. Airlines have factored the lightweight planes and the extra fuel savings into their operating expenses.
Boeing has continually attributed the 787 Dreamliner delays to the slow development of composite plastics parts, defects in supply, redesign and problems with its supply chain.
The aerospace industry is now fraught with rumors that the real delay has been caused by a Trent 2000 engine, which blew up on the test bed. The Trent engines are supplied to Boeing by Rolls Royce.
Customers have been notified of the delay and will be notified when a new delivery schedule is confirmed by Boeing.
The numerous delays in the delivery of the 787 Dreamliner have inconvenienced many airliners. Most companies are planning to cancel pending orders for the 787 Dreamliner airplanes and place new orders for the 737 Boeing Jets, which are considered the workhorse of the fleet.
Boeing has already lost 26 aircraft orders valued at $2.9 billion. The cancellations were made by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. The company also faces a notice for compensation of $1 billion from Air India for non-delivery of aircraft.