First B787 delivery could slip to Jan-2011

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice-President and General Manager B787 programme, Scott Fancher, cautioned that the delivery of the first B787 might be extended a few weeks into 2011 (AP, 16-Jul-2010). The manufacturer still plans to deliver its first B787 to launch customer, All Nippon Airways, during Dec-2010. However, Boeing has warned that planned changes in test instrumentation configurations and additional inspections required due to problems with the tailplane have cut into margins built into the test flight schedule. The delays have resulted in enough pressure on the timetable that Boeing has felt the need to communicate a "cautionary note".