Dreamliner might test fly before end of 2009
Big news from the Dubai Air Show was that Boeing’s 787 “Dreamliner” was likely to be test flown for the first time just before the end of 2009. Even then, the new head of the company’s commercial aircraft division, Jim Albaugh, was careful to hedge his bets, saying Boeing’s development team was “driving the schedule” and “not schedule-driven”. The caution is guided by the fact that Dreamliner is a full two years behind schedule. Its early marketing was very successful and claims that it would be lighter and more fuel-efficient than any other commercial plane brought the iconic company 900 advance orders. But the production delays eroded confidence and more than 70 orders were cancelled this year, with some, like Oman Air, threatening to walk to Airbus should there be more delays. Read more: FT
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