By now, you’ve heard that Boeing has pushed back the first delivery of its 787 Dreamliner by six months. Japan’s All Nippon Airways won’t see its first 787 until November or December of 2008 rather than May.
Boeing’s Scott Carson, president of Commercial Airplanes, pointed to parts shortages and issues assembling the first plane as the problem. Major components for that first plane, built by Boeing’s global partners, arrived incomplete in Everett. Reworking those parts required more effort than Boeing anticipated.
“We are disappointed in today’s schedule changes,” said Jim McNerney, Boeing’s CEO.
All Nippon Airways expressed a similar sentiment in a statement released to the Associated Press: “We regret that delivery of the 787 will be delayed and we hope to keep the impact of the delay to a minimum,” spokesman Damion Martin said.
Others characterized the delay differently.
Doug McVitie, managing director of Arran Aerospace in Dinan, France, told the International Herald Tribune that the six-month set back came as a surprise because “Boeing has maintained all along that they could overcome the problems.”
The headline says it all one this 24/7 Wall Street blog item, posted on MarketWatch:
Boeing (BA) Screws Up.
A Reuters story labels the delay an embarassment.
Boeing’s stock fell $3.85 early but closed at $98.68, down $2.77 for the day.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.