ATW Daily News

747-8 Freighter, Intercontinental deliveries pushed back at least six months

Monday November 17, 2008

Boeing Friday revealed its latest aircraft program delay, saying that the first 747-8 Freighter will be delivered in the third quarter of 2010 instead of late 2009 as planned and the first 747-8 Intercontinental will be delivered in the second quarter of 2011 instead of late 2010.

The manufacturer said that "issues that have slowed the program's progress . . .include supply chain delays driven by design changes to the airplane, limited availability of engineering resources inside Boeing and the recent machinists' strike that halted production in the company's factories."

The 747-8F program was launched in November 2005 and first deliveries are slated for Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines. Lufthansa is the sole airline customer for the 747-8I passenger version and holds orders for 20 plus 20 options. There are eight orders from unannounced customers for the 747-8BBJ version and 78 for the freighter from nine customers.

Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Scott Carson said, "We are clearly disappointed in what this schedule change means for our customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders. However, it is the appropriate and prudent decision to ensure a successful program."

The delay marks a reversal from statements made earlier this year by VP and GM-747 Program Ross Bogue, who insisted to reporters in April that 787 problems were not bleeding to other aircraft programs. The 747-8 is "largely not as far a push from a technology standpoint as the 787," he said then (ATWOnline, April 9), describing 747-8 production as a "more traditional approach. . .and substantially different from the 787 program."

Bogue said Friday that "remaining work on the 747-8 program is well defined . . .This schedule adjustment provides the time we need to finish that work and bring both airplanes to market successfully."

Separately, in some rare good news for the company, Boeing announced a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract with the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, which represents 21,000 engineers, to replace the one that expires on Dec. 1.

by Aaron Karp

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