Still waiting on the 787

First a virtual tour: http://www.newairplane.com/787/virtualTour/

Article from CNNMoney.com:
Boeing Executive: Cautiously Confident Of Meeting New 787 Schedule
September 09, 2009: 01:41 AM ET

HONG KONG -(Dow Jones)- Aircraft maker Boeing Co. (BA) is cautiously confident that it will meet its newly revised schedule to deliver its first Boeing 787 aircraft at the end of next year following several highly-publicized delays, a senior company executive said Wednesday

However, Randy Tinseth, Boeing's vice president of marketing for its commercial aircraft division, said there remain risks for further delays during the flight testing stage when the aircraft makes its first flight later this year.

"There is always an opportunity for things to happen, that's part of flight testing, that's part of certifying an aircraft. There are always risks," Tinseth told reporters on the sidelines of the Asian Aerospace conference.

"Clearly, the number of issues that we are facing is narrowing...This latest delay gets us a chance to get more flight tests of the airplane."

The U.S. aircraft giant last month announced further delays to its 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which was originally scheduled to enter service last year, as a result of a range of manufacturing and design problems.

Boeing now expects the plane to take to the skies late this year and be delivered to its first customer in 2010.

Many 787s have been ordered by airlines in the Asia-Pacific region, including launch customer All Nippon Airways Co. (9202.TO), as well as Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN.AU), Japan Airlines Corp. (9205.TO), and China's major state-owned carriers.

Tinseth declined to elaborate on any arrangements with airlines as a result of the delays, but conceded that carriers are disappointed with the aircraft maker.

"What we have to do to get back that trust is to perform. So we have to fly the plane by the end of this year and we have to start deliveries," said Tinseth.

-By Jeffrey Ng, Dow Jones Newswires; 852-2802-7002; jeffrey.ng@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
09-09-09 0141ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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