The Boeing Co. plans to wrap up the last of its flight testing on the 787 this weekend and is on track to deliver the first Dreamliner next month, a company executive said Thursday.
Boeing has about 24 hours of flight testing left to complete, Jim Albaugh, president of Boeing’s commercial airplane program, said at a Jefferies & Co. conference Thursday. Once that’s finished, Boeing will submit its paperwork to the Federal Aviation Administration for review.
The FAA board will meet soon to review certification for the 787-8, the first model of the Dreamliner. After the FAA signs off on the 787-8 design, it will give its OK for the jet to be flown commercially shortly before first delivery. Boeing intends to hand over the first 787 to Japan’s All Nippon Airways in September. A specific date hasn’t been set.
But Albaugh noted the company’s challenges with the 787 don’t end at first delivery. Boeing wants to increase production on the Dreamliner to 10 jets monthly by late 2013.
“Certainly, that’s not without risk,” Albaugh said.
Boeing added a second 787 assembly line in South Carolina to help the company achieve its production goal. The company is more than three years behind schedule on the Dreamliner, which has about 830 orders. Albaugh called Boeing’s two other factories there — the former Vought and Global Aeronautica sites — the “pinch point” in 787 production.
Also in September, Boeing aims to deliver its first 747-8 freighter to Cargolux. A passenger version of the updated jumbo jet is due for first delivery later this year.
On Thursday, Boeing’s Albaugh fielded questions about the future of the company’s 737 and 777 programs. Boeing announced last month that it would re-engine the single-aisle 737 rather than introduce an all-new aircraft. Albaugh expects Boeing’s board to approve the updated 737 program when it meets this month.
Albaugh noted that the company is considering an upgrade of its Everett-built 777.
“We’re talking to half a dozen airlines right now, not just about the 777 but the 777X,” Albaugh said in reference to an enhanced version of the 777, which Boeing isn’t offering yet.
Boeing added orders for 19 777s to its backlog this week, including an order announced Wednesday for 12 777s from Cathay Pacific. An order for seven 777s from an undisclosed customer also was posted on Boeing’s orders website. On Wednesday, Singapore Airlines said it plans to order eight 777s but that order hasn’t been finalized yet.
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