As Boeing pushes through flight test on its flagship development programme, the company says it plans to have more than 30 Boeing 787s at various stages of completion by year's end.

By the end of 2010 Boeing "will have a number [of 787s] that are either completed or will be work in process, something north of 30," says Randy Tinseth, Boeing VP of marketing.

Tinseth says the 787 flight test programme is on track for first delivery to All Nippon Airways (ANA) late this year.

ANA said recently that it will take delivery of eight 787-8s between late 2010 and the conclusion of its fiscal year in March 2011.

Boeing 787-9 model
 © Billypix
Boeing unveiled the first model of its stretched 787-9 at the Singapore Airshow

Currently, 17 787s are in various stages of completion at Boeing's Washington state facilities, including the six flight test aircraft, two of which are flying.

Boeing forecasts delivery of 460 to 465 aircraft in 2010, a handful of which will be 747-8s and 787s, says Tinseth.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news