The oft-delayed 787 Dreamliner will fly by the end of 2009, Boeing Co. officials said Thursday.
The company intends to deliver the first 787 in the fourth quarter of 2010, nearly two and a half years late. The revised delivery and first flight date reflects the structural reinforcement that sidelined the jet’s flight in June.
“This new schedule provides us the time needed to complete the remaining work necessary to put the 787’s game-changing capability in the hands of our customers,” said Jim McNerney, Boeing CEO. “The design details and implementation plan are nearly complete, and the team is preparing airplanes for modification and testing.”
Boeing said it expects to reach a production rate of 10 aircraft per month in 2013, a year later than previously projected.
The company is working on the side-of-body reinforcement and has completed initial testing and is finalizing design details of new fittings. Boeing will repeat the test that first revealed the weakness after the new fittings have been installed.
The first 787 test airplane and static test unit have been prepared for the new fittings. Installation is expected to begin within the next few weeks.
The company also announced Thursday that due to “inordinate” rework on the 787 test planes, those aircraft will have no commercial value. Boeing will take a charge of $2.5 billion, or $2.21 per share, against its third quarter earnings.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
