par AVION » Ven 16 Juil 2010, 12:55
According to Cargonews Asia/Reuters:
Boeing has said that issues raised in its 787 Dreamliner flight tests could delay first delivery of the long-awaited carbon-composite aircraft into the first part of 2011, but the company also expects an uptick in new plane demand over the next two decades, Reuters reported.
Scott Fancher, general manager of the 787 Dreamliner Program, said the world's second-largest plane maker has not yet made a decision to move the first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways. First delivery is currently scheduled for the end of 2010.
"We've seen some issues recently that have pushed our schedule margin a bit," Fancher said.
The issues relate to "instrument configuration" and inspection work, Fancher said. He said the possible delay is not related to airplane operations.
The Dreamliner is already more than two years behind its original schedule. Production of the airplane was delayed five times in three years, and the first flight was postponed six times, because of parts shortages, design problems and a two-month strike at Boeing's factory in 2008.
Last month, Boeing temporarily stopped flying its test Dreamliners after identifying a problem affecting the horizontal tail.
"We wanted to give a little bit of a cautionary note that things could push into the first part of next year," Fancher said. "Our schedule still shows delivery for the end of the year."