More 787 Delays Announced

Boeing delayed until the second quarter the first flight of the 787 Dreamliner, saying the manufacturer needs more time to assemble the first plane. The first flight, which was set for the first quarter, is now slated for the end of the second quarter. Deliveries are now expected to begin in early 2009, rather than late 2008, Boeing said. "The fundamental design and technologies of the 787 remain sound," said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "However, we continue to be challenged by start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supply-chain." Over the next several weeks, Boeing said it will be working with its customers and suppliers to assess the specific impacts of the schedule change on the 787's flight test program and entry into service. The 787 program has hit several snags in recent months. In October, after announcing more delays in the program, Boeing replaced Mike Bair, who had lead the program for three years, with Pat Shanahan, who led two previous widebody jet programs at Boeing before moving over to the company's military unit five years ago. This month, FAA has issued final special conditions for network security on the 787-8 to protect against unauthorized access to critical systems. For related news