Boeing announces latest Dreamliner delay

AFP - Boeing said on Tuesday that it would delay the first delivery of its new 787 Dreamliner, originally planned for February, until the third quarter of 2011.
             
"This revised timeline for first delivery accommodates the work we believe remains to be done to complete testing and certification of the 787," Scott Fancher, Boeing vice president and general manager of the 787 program, said in a statement.
             
The postponement came after a string of technical mishaps and delays slowed the testing program for the jets, heralded as a new generation of highly fuel-efficient mid-sized aircraft.
             
The company has encountered numerous difficulties in bringing the plane to market due to its use of composite materials as well as integrating production in numerous sites.
             
Last month Boeing said it had installed updated power system software and conducted rigorous reviews to confirm flight readiness after it was forced to halt tests due to an electrical fire that forced an emergency landing.
             
Fancher said the new target for delivery includes some margin of flexibility "to allow for any additional time that may be needed to complete certification activities."