Aircraft

Boeing is still aiming to get the 787 airborne before the end of the year, despite the ongoing industrial stoppage that has brought production at its plants to a standstill.

"We are still planning first flight for the fourth quarter," says the airframer. This target was set in April, when Boeing announced the latest rescheduling to the 787 programme, pushing back first deliveries from late this year to the third quarter of 2009.

The reconfirmation of the planned schedule came in reaction to comments by early 787 customer Northwest Airlines that it needed its first aircraft to have the range and technical specifications that have been promised by Boeing. The North American launch operator is due to receive its first of 18 787s in the last quarter of 2009.

© Charles Conklin

Speaking at last week's Boyd aviation forecast summit in Aspen, Colorado, Northwest vice-president international marketing and sales Fred Deschamps said: "We need the full range and the full efficiency."

Airbus has claimed that it has learned from "market intelligence" that early-build 787s will have performance penalties due to "tonnes" of extra operating empty weight.

Boeing says: "For our customers, the ability to fly their missions is paramount and we're committed to making those airplanes meet those missions." It adds that it will have "more specific airplane performance data following flight testing. That [performance testing] is scheduled to happen first quarter 2009."