Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Boeing postpones 787's first flight

787 launch customer 'disappointed' by fifth Dreamliner delay

Michelle Dunlop
Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- Just days before its 787 was expected to make its first flight, the Boeing Co. announced another setback on its delayed Dreamliner program on Tuesday.

Citing a "manageable" structural issue, Boeing postponed the first flight of the 787, saying it will be several weeks before a new schedule is released. This is the fifth delay of Boeing's fast-selling, mostly composite Dreamliner, which already is nearly two years behind schedule.

Boeing shares plummeted in early trading, dropping 8.6 percent just before 8 a.m., PST.

Boeing's Scott Fancher, who leads the 787 program, told media and analysts that the areas in question are about 1 to 2 square inches in size along the area where the wing and body are joined. Boeing likely will install small reinforcement parts on the inside of the airplane.

The company already is working on a solution to the problem and believes it will have a new schedule in the coming weeks.

Boeing officials said this is common to detect problems like this during testing. Although Boeing decided to postpone first flight, Fancher believes the airplane would have been fine had it flown.

The company wanted to put the Dreamliner in the air before the end of June. Boeing had an aggressive flight test program planned in order to deliver the Dreamliner by the end of March 2010.

“There will be some impact” (to first delivery), said Scott Carson, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Dreamliner launch customer All Nippon Airways expressed frustration over the fifth delay of the 787. ANA originally expected to receive its first Dreamliner in May 2008. The airline urged Boeing to provide a new schedule quickly.

"We are disappointed that the first flight of the 787 will be postponed, and urge Boeing to specify the schedule for the program as a whole as quickly as possible," said ANA in a statement.

Although preliminary tests indicated that flight test could take place this month as planned, recent tests on the full-scale plane detected the need to reinforce the side. Boeing made the decision late last week to postpone first flight but announced it Tuesday.

"I want to be clear: this is a structural reinforcement issue not an issue of workmanship or materials," said Boeing's Pat Shanahan, in the conference call.

As Boeing works with global partners Fuji and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to come up with a solution, the company will continue to put its first Dreamliner through some of the remaining pre-flight ground tests, such as final gauntlet and taxiing tests.


"We remain very confident that the 787 will be a wonderful product for our customers," Carson said.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA