- The 787 is already more than two years late
- Boeing said the latest delay would not affect its financial guidance
Rolls-Royce shares dipped in morning trading on Friday after Boeing announced its long overdue 787 Dreamliner passenger jet would be delayed by several more weeks because of a problem in getting an engine from the UK manufacturer.
The first 787, which is already more than two years late, was supposed to be delivered to its launch customer, All Nippon Airways of Japan, by the end of this year.
After a series of production problems, Boeing said some weeks ago that this deadline could slip to early 2011 but today it said it would not make the first delivery until the middle of the first quarter of 2011.
Boeing said the delay "follows an assessment of the availability of an engine needed for the final phases of flight test this fall".
The news follows reports that an engine being made by Rolls-Royce, whose Trent 1000 engines are powering the 787, suffered a test failure at the manufacturer's Derby headquarters in the first week of August.
However, the aero engine maker denied this was connected to today's delay announcement. "Rolls-Royce confirms that the engine availability issue is unrelated to the test bed event which occurred earlier this month," a spokesman said, while declining to explain the nature of the test failure.
"We have been informed by Boeing that the currently planned dates for Trent 1000 engine deliveries will not support their latest flight test programme requirements," he said. "We are working closely with Boeing to expedite delivery in support of their programme schedule."
ANA, which has ordered 55 of the aircraft, said the new delay was "extremely regrettable" and it was asking Boeing to clarify what impact the engine shortage would have on its longer-term delivery schedule.
ANA had been promised the first 20 aircraft by March 2012, though under Boeing's original delivery plan it was supposed to have begun flying 787s in 2008. It is already seeking unspecified compensation from the US aircraft maker for the delays.
"The 787 is 20 per cent more fuel efficient that the aircraft it is going to replace, so naturally any delays have a direct impact on our fuel costs and our earnings," the airline said on Friday.
Boeing said the latest delay would not affect its financial guidance, but some observers warned it could have a financial impact.
"If the delays announced today throw its [Boeing's] delivery schedule out, airlines will be quick to look for compensation," said aerospace analyst Saj Ahmad of FBE Aerospace.
"The 787 has been delayed almost three years and it's an unacceptable situation for many, particularly as many carriers are witnessing a rise in traffic numbers."
No comments:
Post a Comment