Within the last week, airlines and other media reports have begun to discuss further delivery delays for customers of the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380.
German publication Die Welt (German, English) reported that airlines are expecting delays of 27 months in deliveries for Boeing's 787. The report cited Air Europe, Gulf Air, Vietnam Airlines and British Airways as the impacted airlines who are expected to take delivery around 2012.
Boeing has denied any change to the delivery schedule.
"There has been no change since our announcement in April," said spokeswoman Yvonne Leach.
Monarch, Royal Jordanian and LAN ordered 787s in August 2006, December 2006 an November 2007 respectively. All have voiced concern that deliveries would be delayed between 24 to 30 months. Monarch and Royal Jordanian were expected to received their first Dreamliners in 2010 and LAN in 2011.
The first delivery of the 787-9, which LAN has ordered, has already been delayed to 2012 following Boeing's most recent schedule revision on April 9.
It is likely that the 17 month delay for initial deliveries to 787 launch customers like ANA, QANTAS, Chinese carriers, Northwest, Ethiopian, Air Canada and Air India plus a scaled back production ramp up has resulted in a further stretch of the delivery schedule. The original delivery scheduled had 109 787s being delivered by the close of 2009, Boeing now forecasts just 25.
For Airbus, a German magazine WirtschaftsWoche has reported that the European airframer would be delay A380 deliveries scheduled for 2009 and that customers have been informed of the change.
Airbus' largest A380 customer, Dubai based Emirates Airlines, has said any additional delay would cause an "acute problem" for near term expansion plans.
The existing production plan calls for 13 A380 deliveries for 2008, followed by 25 in 2009. Output is expected to peak from 2010 on at a rate of 45 per year.
Earlier this week, Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders was reported to have said he is "conducting a major review" of this delivery plan. Airbus has delivered three A380-800 superjumbo aircraft to launch customer Singapore Airlines this year, for a total of four delivered.
Image Credits Boeing, Airbus
"There has been no change since the announcement in April", quoth the Boeing spokesperson.
No kidding-- Boeing didn't announce anything in April beyond the 25 deliveries in 2009, so anything happening in 2010 or 2011 would indeed be "no change since the announcement in April" since they didn't announce squat.
At least Airbus had the chutzpah to forecast their delivery rates three years in advance.
The existing production plan calls for 13 A380 deliveries for 2008, followed by 25 in 2009. Output is expected to peak from 2010 on at a rate of 45 per year.
No way it will peak at a rate of 45 per year in 2010 unless they start to sell again at a rate of 45 sales per year. With a production rate of 45 per year in 2010 and with current sales rate, the production line will have to close in 2014.
quoting:
''The existing production plan calls for 13 A380 deliveries for 2008, followed by 25 in 2009. Output is expected to peak from 2010 on at a rate of 45 per year.
No way it will peak at a rate of 45 per year in 2010 unless they start to sell again at a rate of 45 sales per year. With a production rate of 45 per year in 2010 and with current sales rate, the production line will have to close in 2014.
''
Does your assumption assume that there will be no more A380 sales? Current sales rates are about 25 per year. Anaylists sales projections for the A380 range from 400 to about 1000 over its lifetime.
Nonsense.
33 A380-800s were sold in 2007... at 33 new orders per year and 45 airplanes built per year in 2010 and thereafter, the backlog would be cleared in 2025, not 2014. In the meantime, it is likely that new variants would be introduced.
Interesting. I'm sure customers are on the sidelines waiting to see if Airbus can demonstrate a consistent production speed for each interior configuration. Bottom line is they are required to fulfill their contracts, not do what's best for them. Ticking off a huge buyer like Emirates could doom the program.
33 A380-800s were sold in 2007
Net orders in 2007 was 23.
Total sales as of today is 192 firm orders or an average of about 25 orders per year. Most of the early orders were priced as launch customer.
Don't expect big orders in the future.
Global Traffic Continues to Slow
Perhaps Boeing is making this claim because they're seeking a waiver from the normal FAA certification regime?:
Boeing applies for new FAA authorization:
Commercial Airplanes' Delegated Compliance Organization submitted an application earlier this month for Federal Aviation Administration approval to combine currently authorized engineering and manufacturing functions. "Since 2000, we have demonstrated our capability to perform delegated functions on behalf of the FAA," said Ron Hinderberger, BDCO lead administrator. "Compliance to process, self-audit and continual improvement are important steps to ensure a safe global air transportation system. Boeing hopes to receive FAA approval for its Organization Designation Authorization by the end of 2008."
Geeez, just days after denying the delay reports they reluctantly confirm them:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/boeingaerospace/2004402164_boeing09.html
When are we going to see some executives held accountable?