Boeing Says IF It Happens, It Would Only Be "A Few Weeks" Into The New Year

The head of Boeing's 787 program said in a Friday conference call with reporters that, while the company still plans to get the Dreamliner to their launch customer late in 2010, the delivery could slip "a few weeks" into 2011.

Scott Fancher said ANA, which is scheduled to get the first of the new airliners, is being kept in the loop on the delivery schedule. The Chicago Tribune reports that Fancher said the potential delay is due in part to inspections and fixes necessary to address several production issues in planes that have already been built. Fancher did say that the most recent problem, which was discovered in the horizontal stabilizer, has been resolved, and all five Dreamliners in the test program are again flying.

Fancher said the flight test program was going somewhat slower than anticipated because each airplane has to be fitted with new test instruments as the program proceeds, which is taking longer than planned. But he said the design of the Dreamliner is not among the issues that could delay the delivery.

FMI: www.boeing.com