ILFC Chief Says Wing Box Redesign May Push Off First Flight

A necessary structural change to the center wing box of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner may further delay the plane's first flight, currently scheduled to occur nearly one year after the airliner was formally introduced.

Steven Udvar-Hazy, chairman of International Lease Finance Corp., told The Associated Press he believes, based on new information from Boeing, that the first composite-bodied Dreamliner won't take to the skies until late 2008, with deliveries to customers not occurring until the third quarter of 2009.

The center wing box connects the airliner's wing assemblies to the fuselage, and contains a fuel tank. Hazy believes the design change will require retrofits to the planes now on the assembly line in Everett, WA.

In a statement Thursday, Boeing said the center wing box issue has been addressed. "The fix is being installed on Airplanes 1-6 in the Everett factory," read a message on the planemaker's website. "Installations have begun on the four airplanes currently in Final Assembly. All airplanes after Airplane 7 will have the solution incorporated from the beginning."

For the moment, Boeing is playing rumors of another delay to its 787 -- if true, this would be the fourth -- close to the vest. Spokeswoman Yvonne Leach said the company is currently evaluating the chances the planemaker will be able to stick to its current development timeline, which calls for the first 787 flight in June and the first plane delivered to All Nippon Airways early next year.

"We are working on completing our assessment so we can give our customers new delivery schedules. We will share the details of all of this when we are ready," Leach said.

As ANN reported, many customers believe Boeing will soon announce a delay... and are critical of Boeing's statements to the contrary. At an industry conference earlier this month, several airline executives and industry analysts spoke harshly about the state of the troubled airliner, and took Boeing to task over its reassurances the 787 remains on target for its first flight in June. Those customers say they've heard it before.

Leach declined to address Hazy's comments this week directly. "It is normal during the development of a new airplane to discover the need for design enhancements," she said. "While we respect Hazy and he is a valued customer, he was sharing what is his opinion."

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.ilfc.com