(SEATTLE) Boeing Co's maiden flight of its 787 Dreamliner has been pushed back to October from late September, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported, citing unnamed sources. The push-back is mostly blamed on the installation of intricate systems on the plane, the newspaper said. The postponement is the second time the first flight has been delayed, the paper said.
CEO James McNerney said last month that Boeing's plan was to have the Dreamliner flying by the end of September, about a month later than its initial goal, the paper said. At the time, Mr McNerney said the first flight could possibly be pushed back to October and he said Boeing could still deliver the plane on time if the maiden flight took place 'a little beyond' the end of September.
'We have contingency plans in place that would protect the planned May 2008 delivery date in the event that the date of first flight moves,' Boeing spokeswoman Yvonne Leach said on Friday. 'While the plan we put in place and continue to work toward supports a first flight target by the end of September, schedule pressure from these risks are increasing.' - Bloomberg
Source: Business Times.
Morale of the Story: Things don't always go well as planned... ?
