US aerospace giant Boeing said today that it was further delaying the launch of its 787 Dreamliner because of disruptions from a machinists strike and production problems.
Boeing moved the first flight of the commercial plane into the second quarter of 2009 and the first delivery into the first quarter of 2010. The initial flight had been scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2008 and deliveries were to begin in the third quarter of 2009.
'The new schedule reflects the impact of disruption caused by the recent machinists' strike along with the requirement to replace certain fasteners in early production airplanes,' the company said.
Boeing said it would provide customers for the new fuel-efficient plane with updated delivery schedules after completing an evaluation of the impact of the delay on delivery dates.
The flagship Dreamliner is Boeing's first new model in more than a decade and was designed using high-tech plastic composites instead of aluminum.
According to Boeing, the 787 will use 20% less fuel than today's airplanes of comparable size. Boeing is assembling four 787 test jets at its plant in Washington.
In a production departure, Boeing has relieved heavily on outside contractors for the 787, drawing criticism from labor unions about outsourced jobs.
Last month, Boeing said it would postpone the first test flight of the plane because of problems with fasteners and a crippling 58-day machinists strike that ended November 2 but did not announce a new schedule.
Repeated problems with the Dreamliner have become an embarrassment for Boeing and a source of frustration for customers. The first deliveries initially were slated in the first half of 2008.
Boeing says it has received nearly 900 orders for the aircraft from more than 55 customers worldwide.
