Boeing 787 Dreamliner

[Branden Ng 0]

of course everybody understand that... but as a big company like Boeing and AirBus, they should understand this theory much much better than anyone else! they shouldn't set a too optimistic time frame for product like this.

Once the delay happen, both airline and manufacturer company will be in lose lose situation!

Manufacturer have to pay compensasion and airline will need to adjust their business strategy & planing!

[KK Lee 5]

of course everybody understand that... but as a big company like Boeing and AirBus, they should understand this theory much much better than anyone else! they shouldn't set a too optimistic time frame for product like this.

Once the delay happen, both airline and manufacturer company will be in lose lose situation!

Manufacturer have to pay compensasion and airline will need to adjust their business strategy & planing!

 

Extending new frontier is always unpredictable.

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Orient Thai Plans USD$2.5 Bln Boeing Order

 

December 19, 2007

Orient Thai Airlines plans to order 20 new aircraft, eight Boeing 787-9s and 12 Boeing 737-900s, at a cost of USD$2.5 billion in April 2008, chairman Udom Tantiprasongchai said on Wednesday.

 

"The new aircraft will help expand our fleet and replace existing ones. We have 18 planes and some of them are due to be decommissioned," he said.

 

Some of the new planes would also be used to expand the fleet of its budget airline subsidiary One-Two-Go, which suffered a crash on the Thai resort isle of Phuket in September which killed 89 people, Udom said.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Air Astana Orders Airbus And Boeing

 

January 3, 2008

Kazakhstan airline Air Astana said on Thursday it had decided to buy 6 single-aisle A320 aircraft from Airbus and 3 wide-body Boeing 787-8s in deals worth a combined USD$850 million at list prices.

 

The airline, which is 51 percent owned by the Kazakh government and 49 percent by Britain's BAE Systems, said in a statement it had also taken out options for another three of each model.

 

A spokeswoman for European planemaker Airbus confirmed that Air Astana had signed a memorandum of understanding for the Airbus jets. It was not immediately clear whether the Boeing deal was a similar, provisional, contract or a firm order.

 

Air Astana began flight operations in May 2002.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Boeing Wins Gulf Air 787 Order

 

January 14, 2008

Boeing won an order from Bahrain's Gulf Air for 16 of its 787 aircraft, worth USD$3.4 billion, according to Gulf Air, which also agreed an initial request for eight Airbus A320s.

 

The Boeing order includes options for eight more. The first of the aircraft will be delivered in 2016.

 

"If we look at the overall economics of operation of the Boeing 787, it is more favorable than the Airbus A350 extra wide body," Bjorn Naf, Gulf Air acting chief executive officer told reporters in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

 

Bahrain's national carrier aims to replace its fleet of 35 aircraft, and is in talks with Airbus to buy eight of its narrow body A320 aircraft, Gulf Air chairman Mahmood al-Kooheji said.

 

"We have signed an MOU with Airbus for the A320," Kooheji said, declining to give a value for the initial agreement. An order of that size may be worth about USD$520 million at list prices. Gulf Air hopes to reach a final agreement by the end of March, Naf said.

 

Gulf Air and Chicago-based Boeing concluded their agreement late on Saturday during a visit by President George W Bush to the island kingdom.

 

The state-owned airline plans to lease aircraft until the new planes are delivered, and is in talks with banks to finance the purchases. Officials declined to give further details.

 

Gulf Air was the 56th customer to order the 787, whose launch has been the most successful in Boeing history, Boeing regional sales Senior Vice President Marty Bentrott said in Bahrain. Customers have ordered 833 of the planes since its launch in 2004, he said.

 

Last year was a bumper year for aircraft orders. However, orders this year may fall, Bentrott said, as US airlines cancel requests on prospects of a weaker US economy. Boeing received orders for 1,413 planes in 2007.

 

"There is perceived weakness in the US economy... I would say industry orders will drop to about half of 2007," he said.

 

Gulf Air reduced its network and cut its work force by about 25 percent last year after announcing losses of more than USD$1 million a day. Then-CEO Andre Dose resigned in July after less than four months in the role.

 

The airline, which has pledged to operate with minimum state support, said it was now close to halving its losses. The company has said its government owner could sell shares to the public as early as this year.

 

"This is a strong signal to the market and to our competitors that Gulf Air is back in business," Naf said.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Air Pacific Orders 3 More 787s

 

January 15, 2008

Boeing said on Monday that Fiji-based Air Pacific has ordered three 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft valued at USD$580 million.

 

The three aircraft were in addition to a 2006 order for five 787s, Boeing said.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Boeing Set To Announce Further 787 Delay

 

January 16, 2008

Boeing is set to announce a further delay to its 787 Dreamliner, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, threatening to push deliveries of the new plane even further back and increasing the risk of costly penalty payments to airlines.

 

The 787, which is the most successful launch in Boeing's history, is already six months behind schedule due to problems with suppliers and parts shortages.

 

The Chicago-based plane maker may push back the first 787 test flight to June, The Wall Street Journal reported, from the current end-March target. The plane was originally slated for its first test flight last August.

 

Any further delay would likely make it impossible for Boeing to hit its target of 109 deliveries by the end of 2009, which would eat into expected revenue.

 

Boeing's stock closed down more than 4 percent to its lowest since September 2006. The stock has now fallen 28 percent from the all-time high last July, when hopes for Boeing's latest fuel-efficient, long-haul aircraft were strongest.

 

Last week, Boeing would not confirm or deny a blog report that the plane was three weeks behind schedule.

 

Boeing has taken orders for 817 Dreamliners from 53 airlines and leasing firms, worth USD$135 billion at list prices. Industry analysts generally believe Boeing's new plane will ultimately be successful, but have grown wary of faltering progress in building it.

 

"Investors are likely to require clear signs that this is the last of the delays, which will take some months to prove out," said Morgan Stanley analyst Heidi Wood, in a research note.

 

Japan's All Nippon Airways, the first 787 customer, declined comment on reports of the delay, saying it had not heard anything from Boeing on the matter. ANA is currently scheduled to get its first 787 in late November or December, six months later than the original target of May.

 

Talk of more delays on the program have been circulating for some weeks in the industry, which witnessed similar spiraling delays on rival Airbus's A380 superjumbo.

 

A new delay would be an embarrassing blow for Boeing, which only last month insisted the 787 was on track to meet its revised schedule. In October, Boeing put back first delivery of the plane by at least six months due to production problems.

 

(Reuters)

 

Boeing Delays 787 By Further 3 Months

 

January 17, 2008

Boeing said on Wednesday it would push back first test flight and deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner by a further three months, as it struggles with outsourced production of the new plane.

 

The delay is the second major setback for the program in three months, after the plane maker announced a six month delay in October, and could mean Boeing will have to pay costly penalties to airlines waiting for deliveries.

 

Boeing abandoned its target of delivering 109 of the 787s by the end of 2009 and said it was working with suppliers and customers to establish a new schedule.

 

The new delay comes only a month after Boeing's commercial aircraft chief assured Wall Street that the plane was on track to meet its revised schedule.

 

Boeing shares were 2.6 percent higher to USD$79.90 in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, after losing 4.7 percent on Tuesday, when word of the delay leaked out.

 

The Chicago-based company said on Wednesday the first test flight of the plane would now take place around the end of the second quarter, compared with its previous target of near the end of March.

 

First deliveries of the plane are now scheduled for early 2009, rather than its previous estimate of late November or December this year.

 

Getting all the plane's systems working together -- known as "power on" in the industry -- is now scheduled for April, rather than the end of this month.

 

Boeing said the major problem was the length of time it took to perform work on certain parts delivered by its suppliers, rather than specific part shortages.

 

Executives did not point the finger at any individual suppliers, but said work on the fuselage was causing significant problems.

 

Major suppliers on the 787's fuselage are Spirit Aerosystems and Vought Aircraft Industries from the United States, and Alenia, which is a unit of Italy's Finmeccanica.

 

The plane maker is still struggling with "start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supply-chain," commercial airplane chief Scott Carson said in a statement.

 

"The rate at which jobs are being completed has not improved sufficiently to maintain the current schedule," he added.

 

On a conference call, Carson and 787 program head Pat Shanahan said it was taking longer than expected to complete work in its own Seattle area assembly facility that should have been done by suppliers in their own factories.

 

"We underestimated how long it would take to complete somebody else's work," Shanahan said on Wednesday.

 

Boeing's original, revolutionary plan was to outsource almost all the production of the plane to others, then simply connect the pieces itself.

 

The company said the new delay would not have a significant effect on 2008 results, but it would update its financial forecasts for this year when it reports quarterly earnings on January 30. It plans to provide financial forecasts for 2009 when it reports first-quarter earnings at the end of April.

 

(Reuters)

 

[jani 0]

Sorry to be ignorant, but what is exactly special about the 787's and why is it very popular amongst the airlines?

[razlizam 0]

Boeing Statement on Dreamliner Delay

 

The planemaker says it plans 25 deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner in 2009, starting in the third quarter

 

Boeing Revises 787 First Flight and Delivery Plans; Adds Schedule Margin to Reduce Risk of Further Delays

 

• First flight moved into fourth-quarter 2008; deliveries to begin third-quarter 2009

• Production plan now targets approximately 25 787 deliveries in 2009

• Company expresses confidence in plans; will work closely with customers to minimize disruption

• No change to 2008 earnings guidance; strong 2009 EPS growth still expected

 

EVERETT, Wash., April 09, 2008—Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced a revised plan for first flight and initial deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner that includes additional schedule margin to reduce risk of further delays on the program.

 

While significant progress has been made assembling Airplane #1, first flight is being rescheduled due to slower than expected completion of work that traveled from supplier facilities into Boeing's final assembly line, unanticipated rework, and the addition of margin into the testing schedule. The new delivery schedule is based on a more conservative production plan developed with the 787 partner team. That schedule now targets approximately 25 deliveries in 2009.

 

First flight of the all-new airplane will move into the fourth quarter of this year rather than the end of the second quarter, and first delivery is now planned for the third quarter of 2009 instead of first quarter.

 

Company officials expressed confidence in the new plan and the steps being taken to accelerate program performance.

 

"Over the past few months, we have taken strong actions to confront and overcome start-up issues on the program, and we have made solid progress," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Scott Carson. "Nevertheless, the traveled work situation and some unanticipated rework have prevented us from hitting the milestones we laid out in January. Our revised schedule is built upon an achievable, high-confidence plan for getting us to our power-on and first-flight milestones. Also, while the fundamental technologies and design of the 787 remain sound, we have inserted some additional schedule margin for dealing with other issues we may uncover in testing prior to first flight and in the flight test program."

 

The company said in January it would be conducting a comprehensive assessment of its supply chain and production system capabilities to determine the details of the 787's flight test program and initial delivery profile. As a result of that assessment, the first-year delivery plan announced today will be followed by a more gradual ramp up to full-rate production than previously planned.

 

"We deeply regret the disruption and disappointment these changes will cause for our customers, and we will work closely with each of them to minimize the impact," said Carson. "We have taken significant action to improve supply chain and production system performance, such as our investment in Global Aeronautica, but based on our assessment, the prudent course is to proceed with a more gradual ramp up to full-rate production."

 

Pat Shanahan, 787 vice president and program manager, echoed Carson's comments about the progress being made in 787 factories.

 

"The work that remains to be done on Airplane #1 is well defined, and we can see our way to—and have confidence in—the new milestones we have set for it," said Shanahan. "We have addressed the major challenges that slowed our progress while trying to complete the primary structure—the parts shortages, engineering changes, and manufacturing changes—and we are well into the systems installation that is the precursor to putting power on the airplane for the first time. We have also worked closely with our partners to achieve higher levels of completion of their parts of subsequent airplanes, and we will continue to drive improvements in the supply chain and production system performance," he said.

 

For tracking program progress, Shanahan outlined a series of milestones that will occur before June 30: 787 static and fatigue structural test airplanes will move to their testing locations; Airplanes #3 and #4 will enter final assembly; hardware airworthiness qualifications will be complete; and power on will be achieved.

 

Shanahan also said the program has changed the timing of the introduction of two 787 derivatives. The 787-9, a larger variant of the airplane, will be the first derivative of the baseline 787 with delivery planned for early 2012. The 787-3, a shorter-range model previously slated to deliver in 2010, will now become the second derivative of the airplane family.

 

While research and development costs will likely increase as a result of the 787 schedule change, Boeing expects no change to 2008 earnings guidance. The company continues to expect strong earnings per share growth in 2009 and will provide complete 2009 financial guidance when it holds its first-quarter 2008 earnings conference call later this month. The outlook for the company's defense business and in-production commercial airplane programs remains strong.

 

Boeing will hold a conference call with Scott Carson and Pat Shanahan to discuss the 787 program today at 11:00 a.m. EDT, 8:00 a.m., PDT.

 

 

[Nick C 0]

Singapore Airlines Limited has announced via inference that its Boeing 787-9 aircraft will be in a two-class configuration.

 

The B787s will potentially be deployed in short and medium haul destinations of up to 8 hours flight time. Approximately 1/3 of the B787's flights will be night deployments while 2/3 of the flights will be day deployments.

 

In a tender to design firms for the Boeing 787-9 Business Class interior, the Airline said:"SIA is seeking the design and development of the Business Class cabin of its B787 aircraft, particularly the passenger seats in an efficient cabin layout."

 

"SIA’s B787s must offer compelling reasons for customers to choose SIA for traveling on the short to medium haul routes, particularly in the Business Class cabin. The cabin must offer customers a new air travel experience with vastly improved comfort and the opportunity and convenience to pursue a number of activities in-flight."

 

"Besides the possible differences between long haul and short/medium haul travel in terms of customer requirements, the planning of SIA’s B787 Business Class cabin involves the challenge of projecting customers’ needs of the future, as the aircraft is expected to operate for 10 – 12 years after commencement of operations in 2011/12."

 

"It is key that the new aircraft interior must fulfill customers’ wishes, desires and dreams and offer customers more than their expectations."

 

"Each concept must however consist of details on how the Business Class Cabin is to be transformed in setting a new standard in Short and Medium Haul air travel service and comfort."

 

"The proposed designs must be new and never been shown or offered to any other parties."

 

 

 

"Below are some of the key design challenges:

• Retaining SIA’s current hallmark of providing Business class passengers the First Class luxury.
• A dramatic breakthrough in space, features, ergonomics and cushion design that provide superior comfort and adaptability to the human body in both sitting and sleeping positions.
• Providing an unprecedented level of intuitive convenience and choice over various functions and activities on board, plus easy access to the aisles.
• Weight to be taken as one major consideration in the design of aircraft items.
• Besides comfort, space and privacy, the design concepts should also take into consideration the reliability and maintainability of the final products when implemented."

"Design firms that are shortlisted to proceed to the Design Concepts Phase will each be paid a sum of Singapore Dollar Fifty thousand (SGD50,000) for generation of their portfolio of design concepts."

 

"Development and Implementation of Project by selected firm - February 2009 onwards"

 

 

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/...787brochure.pdf

 

The B787s will potentially be deployed in short and medium haul destinations of up to 8 hours flight time. Approximately 1/3 of the B787’s flights will be night deployments while 2/3 of the flights will be day deployments.

[MIR 2]

SIA business class playing space??

[Y. J. Foo 0]

Is it me or 787 seems to be pretty cramped to seat 9-abreast economy seats?? :blink:

[Y C LEONG 1]

looks like KUL will be seeing 787..

[Nick R. 0]

Is it me or 787 seems to be pretty cramped to seat 9-abreast economy seats?? :blink:

the present SQ 777s have 3x3x3 on Y. Their high density ones have 293Y (9V-SR? series)

personally, it is a bit cramped on their T7, but they say 787 are wider...

Edited May 14, 2008 by Nick R.

[jani 0]

looks like KUL will be seeing 787..

 

I hope so, but I guess most likely they will send the A330 to KUL.

[Isaac 0]

the present SQ 777s have 3x3x3 on Y. Their high density ones have 293Y (9V-SR? series)

personally, it is a bit cramped on their T7, but they say 787 are wider...

I do not find SQ 772 to be cramped at all, be it the "regional" 2-class or "long-haul" 2-class 772. Never flown on their "regional" 3-class 772 but i expect it to be roughly the same as the "regional" 2-class 772.

 

Last time Boeing said that 60% of the airlines that have firm 787 orders will squeeze in 3x3x3 in the 787 and QF is confirmed to be one of the airlines that will have 9 abreast. If i'm not mistaken, SQ is not of the the 60% airlines that have opted for 9 across in EY along with NW and CO.

 

[LeeCH 0]

2 Class config? Hmm.... All Japan sectors except Narita. NKG, ADL,PER BNE, SGN, HAN. Plus KUL and PEN. Plus a few India turnarounds. Pretty descent COP as crew. Looks like 787 will replace the A330 when it comes.

[Ryan Soh 3]

the present SQ 777s have 3x3x3 on Y. Their high density ones have 293Y (9V-SR? series)

personally, it is a bit cramped on their T7, but they say 787 are wider...

SQ's 777s are ANYTHING but cramped. If you think the 3x3x3 feels sardined, what about EK's 3x4x3? Or what about that poor fella in the middle of MH's 2x5x2?

 

The brochure pic of the supposed 787 looks more like a 777 leh, or is it my eyes playing tricks on me?

 

Anyway the 787 could not have come at a better time. A perfect replacement for the long forgottened A310.

[Nick C 0]

TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY OF

 

REFERENCE NO: TR 415

DESIGN OF BUSINESS CLASS CABIN FOR B787-9 AIRCRAFT

Closing Date: 26 June 2008 12 noon (Singapore time, GMT +

 

Invitation Letter - TR 415

Annex A - Terms and Conditions - TR 415

Annex B - Project Next Design Brief - TR 415

Annex C - IPT Declaration Form And Vendor Profile - TR 415

 

2 Class config? Hmm.... All Japan sectors except Narita. NKG, ADL,PER BNE, SGN, HAN. Plus KUL and PEN. Plus a few India turnarounds. Pretty descent COP as crew. Looks like 787 will replace the A330 when it comes.

 

What's the transition period from B777 to B787?

 

[Nick C 0]

the present SQ 777s have 3x3x3 on Y. Their high density ones have 293Y (9V-SR? series)

personally, it is a bit cramped on their T7, but they say 787 are wider...

 

The cabin width of the 777 is wider than that of the 787. The only reason why the 787 feels more spacious is the bigger windows and new generation interior.

[S V Choong 4]

I shall let the picture do the talking..... starring B787 line no. 1

 

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Boeing/Boei...amliner/1356308

 

Line no. 3 cockpit

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled/Bo...amliner/1356306

 

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-(A...amliner/1356303

 

ANA's 787 Line no. 2 in the making

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Boeing-787-...iner/1356307/L/

 

 

What Line no. 1 looked like in 8 July 2007

 

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Boeing/Boei...iner/1240280/L/

Edited May 22, 2008 by S V Choong

[Ahmad M 1]

Pity Boeing still insist on using the control column. Nothing like having the sidestick.

[Pieter C. 5]

Aeroflot Says Boeing Will Delay 787 Delivery

 

May 30, 2008

Russia's largest airline Aeroflot expects Boeing to delay delivery of 22 787s by over two years from the initially planned 2014, Aeroflot general director Valery Okulov said on Friday.

 

"We have received official notification, the delay is 28 months," Okulov told reporters.

 

Aeroflot last year agreed to pay almost USD$6 billion for 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and the same number of Airbus A350s.

 

Okulov also said Aeroflot doubted if it was expedient for it to buy Italy's struggling flag carrier Alitalia, which it briefly expressed an interest in buying last year.

 

"The state in which Alitalia was last year gave hope for recovery... Now I have big doubts that it is possible to bring it to healthy state," he said.

 

Aeroflot said in April it was waiting for Italy -- which has been trying to sell its 49.9 percent stake in the loss-making carrier for more than a year -- to invite it to renew talks after Air France-KLM's deal to buy the Italian firm collapsed earlier last month.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Boeing Says 787 First Flight On Schedule

 

June 9, 2008

Boeing said on Monday its 787 Dreamliner would make its first flight in the fourth quarter of 2008, repeating the revised schedule for the new plane's launch announced in April.

 

Dmitry Krol, director of communications for Boeing in Russia and the CIS, said first deliveries of the plane were scheduled for the third quarter of 2009, also as previously stated.

 

"There is no change to the schedule for the 787 that we announced in April, which has us achieving power on by the end of June, first flight in the fourth quarter of 2008 and first delivery in the third quarter of 2009," said Krol.

 

The company clarified its schedule after Mike Bair, vice-president of business strategy and marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said on Sunday the plane would fly "by the end of summer".

 

Bair was speaking on the sidelines of the St Petersburg Economic Forum. He did not say that the schedule had changed.

 

The fuel-efficient 787 broke early sales records for Boeing and is seen by some analysts as key to the company's financial future.

 

(Reuters)

 

[S V Choong 4]

Great, I am so looking forward to the 787!