More bad news for Boeing: another 787 delay?

Published 10:38 am Friday, March 7, 2008

The Boeing Co.’s Dreamliner faces another delay, analysts say. The company says it’s still evaluating the 787’s schedule.

The gloomy news couldn’t come at worse time for Boeing.

Company officials are being debriefed today by the Air Force on why they lost a $35 billion tanker contract to Northrop Grumman-EADS. Although Congress and Washington state’s politicians are making a fuss over the loss, many industry observers say that Boeing should think twice about protesting the Pentagon’s choice.

The Pentagon said past performance was one of the five major factors it considered in picking a tanker. Analysts have said Boeing’s snafus on its tankers for Japan and Italy, as well as problems with other defense deals (virtual fence and Wedgetail), may have come back to haunt the aerospace company.

But the $35 billion question of the day: how much did Boeing’s repeated setbacks on the 787 factor into the Pentagon’s pick?

Boeing officials could find out today. In the meantime, let me know what you think.