Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Schedule
The Boeing board of directors granted authority to offer the airplane for sale in late 2003. Program launch occurred in April 2004 with a record order from All-Nippon Airways. Since that time, 56 customers from six continents of the world have placed orders for 847 airplanes valued at $147 billion, making this the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing's history. The 787 program opened its final assembly plant in Everett in May 2007. First flight of the 787 Dreamliner occurred in Dec. 2009.
The program has signed on more than 40 of the world's most capable top-tier supplier partners and together finalized the airplane's configuration in September 2005. Boeing has been working with its top tier suppliers since the early detailed design phase of the program and all are connected virtually at 135 sites around the world. Eleven partners from around the world completed facility construction for a total of three million additional square feet to create their major structures and bring the next new airplane to market.
In the summer of 2007 the leader of the program said the airplane would make first flight on time. In September 2007 Boeing announced a delay in the planned first flight of the 787 citing ongoing challenges with out-of-sequence production work, including parts shortages, and remaining software and systems integration activities.
Almost two years later the airplane still hadn't flown. On Oct. 10, 2007 Boeing announced a six-month delay in its planned initial deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner due to continued challenges completing assembly of the first airplanes. Deliveries of the strong-selling Dreamliner were slated to begin in late November or December 2008, versus an original target of May 2008. First flight was anticipated around the end of first quarter 2008.
On April 09, 2008 Boeing announced a revised plan for first flight and initial deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner that included additional schedule margin to reduce risk of further delays on the program. First flight was 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. First flight moved into fourth-quarter 2008; deliveries to begin third-quarter 2009. Production plan targets approximately 25 787 deliveries in 2009. 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, became the second derivative of the airplane family.
On Dec. 11, 2008 Boeing announced an updated schedule for its all-new 787 Dreamliner program that moves the commercial jet's first flight into the second quarter of 2009 and first delivery into the first quarter of 2010. The new schedule reflects the impact of disruption caused by the recent Machinists' strike along with the requirement to replace certain fasteners in early production airplanes. Prior to the strike that halted much of the company's commercial airplane work from early September into November, the 787 was to make its first flight late in the fourth quarter of 2008. First delivery was slated for the third quarter of 2009.
On Dec. 15, 2009, the eyes of the world watched as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner took flight for the first time in Everett, Washington. It was an historic moment as this industry game-changer took to the skies. The initial flight of the 787 took place two years behind schedule as the program has been plagued by parts problems and other delays.
On 09 January 2010 Boeing said it was reviewing plans for a shorter-haul version of its new 787 Dreamliner, after All Nippon Airways Co. swapped its orders to another model. All Nippon Airways, launch customer for the 787 Dreamliner, said that it is replacing an order for 28 of the 787-3 short-range jets with the longer-range 787-8 model. As a result, there were no longer any 787-3 orders in the backlog. Going forward, Boeing would continue to assess the market viability of the 787-3.
On 01 July 2010 Boeing announced the completion of firm configuration for the 787-9 Dreamliner. The first 787-9 delivery is scheduled for late 2013. At that time delivery of the first 787 was planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.
On Aug. 27, 2010 Boeing said that it expected delivery of the first 787 in the middle of the first quarter 2011. The delivery date revision followed an assessment of the availability of an engine needed for the final phases of flight test this fall.
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