Company Says The Program "Won't Be Drained Of Resources Again"

While Boeing contemplates design changes to the composite fuselage that has again delayed the 787 Dreamliner program, the company says it is back ahead of schedule on its 747-8 program, and that further Dreamliner delays won't effect the Intercontinental's development again.

“The 787 will identify the requirements they need to address their challenges, but that won’t have an impact on the 747,” Todd Zarfos, the vice president of engineering for the jumbo-jet program, said in an interview this week with Bloomberg News. “Over the last two years we’ve aligned our engineering resource ability to make sure we meet all our commitments.”

Bloomberg reports that the first customer for the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger model, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, is concerned that additional problems with the Dreamliner will again delay its deliveries, a concern that Boeing is trying hard to assuage. “I’m sure again the delay of the 787 will mean that they have to pull in more engineering resources, and that will have even further delays, as a consequence, for the 747-8,” Lufthansa Chief Financial Officer Stephan Gemkow told investors in a June 25 online presentation. “I would not be surprised to learn this some weeks or months in the future.”

Boeing admits having pulled some engineers off the Intercontinental project in the past to work on the Dreamliner, but now assures Deutsche Lufthansa AG that its airplanes will be delivered on time, in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Meanwhile, Boeing announced earlier this week it had joined the wing to the fuselage of its first 747-8 Freighter. Workers attached the 40-foot fuselage section to the center wing box in the final assembly bay at the factory in Everett, Wash. The wing and center section are now being prepared for final body join, when the assembly will be connected to the forward and aft fuselage sections.

"We continue to gain momentum on the assembly of the first 747-8 Freighter," said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 Program. "The airplane is coming together well and will be ready to fly later this year as planned. This will be a great freighter, which will build on the 747 family's leadership in the cargo market."

The 747-8 Freighter is the new high-capacity 747. Boeing says it will offer 16 percent more revenue cargo volume than the 747-400 Freighter and 16 percent lower ton-mile costs than the 747-400 Freighter. There are currently 78 orders from leading cargo operators for the new 747-8 Freighter.

FMI: www.boeing.com