SEATTLE -- Late Thursday, ATW reported that Kenya Airways managing director and CEO was notified first delivery to All Nippon Airways will slip an additional three months , placing the handover at the end of the first or beginning of the second quarter of 2011. Historically, Boeing's last step before announcing a further delay to the 787's first delivery has coincided with the official notification of its customer base.
Boeing would not confirm if it had informed Kenya Airways or any of its 787 customers an additional delay in first delivery to ANA was coming. The airframer has already cautioned that first delivery could slip out of 2010 into early 2011 after sluggish flight test instrumentation change out and horizontal stabilizer inspections slowed the flight test program.
Currently unknown is if the August 2 uncontained failure of a 'Package A' Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine will have any impact on the schedule, despite assurances by the engine maker.
The third week of August is no stranger to Boeing announcements of bad news. One year ago tomorrow, Boeing announced a six-month delay following the June 2009 revelation that the 787 required reinforcement of the side-of-body.
7:07 PM PT UPDATE: A source with knowledge of the announcement says that a slip in first 787 delivery to the middle or end of the first quarter will be released on Friday.
7:11 PM PT UPDATE: It is believed the slip will be attributed to issues with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine, as well as the Alenia-made horizontal stabilizer. The source adds that slip was was expected on Thursday, though Boeing and Rolls-Royce were agreeing on the wording of the announcement.
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