Aviation News Item: 00389

28th Aug 2009

Source: ubmaviationnews.com

Boeing expects the 787 to take off for the first flight by the end of 2009 and to start first deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2010, the company said yesterday, August 27. The modification planning to resolve the structural issue in the wing/body joint, which delayed the last schedule for first flight in June, is "nearly complete", according to Jim McNerney, Boeing's president and CEO. Installation of the reinforcement structure is expected to begin within the "next few weeks". The company said "the initial flight-test aircraft have no commercial market value beyond the development effort due to the inordinate amount of rework and unique and extensive modifications". However, the firm also stated the Dreamliner programme "is not in a forward-loss position". Boeing projects achieving a production rate of 10 aircraft per month in late 2013.

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