Sydney Airport Message Board Sydney Airport Message Board  

Go Back   Sydney Airport Message Board > Aviation Industry News and Discussion > International Industry


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #21  
Old 17th April 2008, 07:07 AM
Gerald A Gerald A is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 537
Default

Quote:

16-Apr-2008 :

BOEING officially announced its 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 programme.

First flight is being rescheduled due to slower than expected completion of work that travelled from supplier facilities into Boeing’s final assembly line, unanticipated rework, and the addition of margin into the testing schedule. The schedule now targets approximately 25 deliveries in 2009.
First flight of Dreamliner 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 programme performance.

“Over the past few months, we have taken strong actions to confront and overcome start-up issues on the programme, and we have made solid progress,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer, Scott Carson. “Nevertheless, the travelled 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.

“We deeply regret the disruption and disappointment these changes will cause for our customers, and we will work closely with each of them to minimise the impact. 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,” said Carson.

The manufacturer faces compensation claims from airlines affected by the delays and will be desperate to ensure it does not fall into the same trap as Airbus did with the A380, by missing revised targets on a number of occasions, adding to the frustration of customers.
Gerald
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 17th April 2008, 02:10 PM
Kurt A Kurt A is offline
YSSY Forum Administrator
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: YSSY
Posts: 956
Default

Quote:
Boeing pays competitor Airbus via Qantas for delay

Jetstar will request Qantas directors accept a $200 million deal today, which will enable the budget brand to lease a fleet of Airbus jetliners, paid for by the compensation demanded from Boeing.

The board meeting has the cost of acquiring new planes on the agenda, as well as the financial reparations to be received from Boeing after the delays in delivering the 787 Dreamliner.

The directors will also consider an overhauled frequent flyer plan.

The most significant focus for the directors will relate to filling a gap in aircraft capacity, resulting from the third delay in delivery of the new Boeing jet, which is now 15 months behind schedule.

Business Day reports that Qantas sources anticipate the amount to be in excess of the $200 million that Airbus paid to Qantas following the two year delay of the first A380.

Although numbers have not been admitted, a senior airline source informed Business Day, “if you look at the size of the Boeing order against the 12 planes that Airbus delayed you get some idea of how much Boeing will have to pay.”

The delay in delivery has already breached the multimillion dollar contract where Qantas had placed firm orders for 65 Dreamliners and options for a further 50.

Qantas could still renege unscathed, due to the breach, but has clarified that it remains confidence that the fuel efficient Dreamliner will be beneficial and profitable for Jetstar.

The new route plans for Jetstar will be delayed by at least six months, and hence Boeing is expected to compensate for the loss of potential earning and the fact Jetstar will lose the opportunity to be the first discount airline operating certain routes into Asia.

The leasing agreement is necessary for Jetstar to preserve their market share and attract passengers for their expansion plans into Europe.

Jetstar fears that without the new planes, they’ll “be behind the eight-ball when Air AsiaX launches cheap flights from Australia to Europe,” a Qantas senior divulged to Business Day.

Air AsiaX has already announced the plans for cheap flights to London, using their Airbus A350s, but Jetstar will have a limited range with A330s, and will only just reach Athens or Rome.
-eTravel
__________________
YSSY Forum Administrator
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 18th April 2008, 05:58 PM
Shameel Kumar Shameel Kumar is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Now in Central California
Posts: 265
Default

Quote:
Jetstar fears that without the new planes, they’ll “be behind the eight-ball when Air AsiaX launches cheap flights from Australia to Europe,” a Qantas senior divulged to Business Day.

Air AsiaX has already announced the plans for cheap flights to London, using their Airbus A350s, but Jetstar will have a limited range with A330s, and will only just reach Athens or Rome.

I think that's a typo, should be A330s since Air AsiaX has not order A350s, only 10 additional A330s a few weeks ago.

Should be an interesting race to see who gets their A330s first... Air AsiaX who have ordered straight from Airbus, or Jetstar who are desperate to find A330s to lease.

If JQ did want to fly to London, where exactly would they intend to stop-over? If Air Asia X will be able to fly from Asia to London, then why wouldn't JQ be able to fly to London via an Asian hub? Even with 787s they wouldn't be able to do direct to London.. so what's the big fuss about only being able to fly to Athens or Rome?
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 30th April 2008, 05:44 PM
Kurt A Kurt A is offline
YSSY Forum Administrator
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: YSSY
Posts: 956
Default Boeing Moves 787 Dreamliner to structural test rig

Quote:
Boeing moved the 787 Dreamliner static test airframe from its Final Assembly facility in Everett to its structural test rig on Friday. The test rig is located only 1,000 feet away from Final Assembly at the Everett factory.

The final stages of assembly to be completed on the static airframe will be finished concurrently with test set-up which is expected to begin immediately. Test will begin this summer.

"During static tests we apply loads to the airplane structure that simulate both normal operation as well as extreme flight conditions," said Randy Harley, vice president of Engineering & Technology for the 787 program. "We monitor the airplane to confirm analytical predictions and make sure the structure holds up to these conditions."

Movement of the static airframe clears the way to begin assembly of the third 787 to enter the flight test program. Most pieces of the third airplane arrived in Everett earlier this month. All assemblies for Airplane number three are now in Everett, and the airplane will be loaded into the first position of Final Assembly early next week.
-eTravel
__________________
YSSY Forum Administrator
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 30th April 2008, 06:56 PM
Rhys Xanthis Rhys Xanthis is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 992
Default

I was watching a documentary on Discovery Channel today called Decoding Distaster - Planes.

It was basically about composite materials and how they go in an airplane. They referred to a few accidents with A300/A310's with composite materials that failed during flight.

It did get me thinking how structurally sound the 787 would be. After having watched it, from what i can tell, one needs pretty decent ultrasound equipment to tell if the fuselage is damaged or not (even under a microscope, things dont show up). It also said that the FAA (when they made the doco) had left it upto individual airlines to purchase/use such equipment.

After seeing it, it doesn't leave me with a lot of hope that the 787 will be a strucutrally sound airliner. All these little things that could go wrong with the fuselage make me uneasy.

While I am sure Boeing would NEVER build a strucutrally un-sound airliner, I am of the belief that not all airlines will use the best maintenance procedures, and i doubt many will considering ultrasound equipment is likely required to see small stress fractures.(seriously, how much would it cost, and how long would it take to examine a whole plane!). On the doco, they hit a piece of Carbon Fibre with a hammer, and ultrasounded it, to come up with TINY bits of damaged areas.

I don't know...perhaps others thoughts on this? Perhaps im a crazy old cook (at the ripe old age of 17), nevertheless, its slightly concerning.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 1st May 2008, 04:33 AM
Ash W Ash W is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,053
Default

I have the same reservations myself, but I do trust that Boeing, the airlines and the regulators will address all issues, including maintenance to ensure it is as safe as any conventional airframe.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 12th May 2008, 07:46 PM
Olle Q Olle Q is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Sweden
Posts: 40
Default B787 - possible two year delay

Hey you guys, found this on www.flightglobal.com


Boeing 787 customers are being advised that they face delays of at least two years to their first deliveries following the latest programme slip, and are preparing to seek compensation.
Industry sources say that the average delay to first delivery is around 27 months. Air Canada, which has 37 787s on order, says it has been informed by Boeing that its first delivery will be pushed back by 24-30 months to around January 2012.
The airline's chief executive Montie Brewer says the carrier "will run into [capacity] issues in 2010 when the first aircraft was supposed to show up.
Sources say that Qatar Airways is facing a similar length of delay to Air Canada, of over two years. The airline has 30 firm orders and 30 options, the first of which had been due in August 2010. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker says the airline will exercise existing 777 options to bridge the 787 delay and is considering additional leases.
Air Canada and Qatar Airways confirm they will seek compensation from Boeing.
LAN Airlines, which has 32 787s on order, has warned that it is facing a delay of around two years, while Royal Jordanian expects to wait up to 30 months to the delivery of its first of 11 aircraft on order.
The delay for North American launch customer Northwest Airlines, which has 18 787s on order, is not as significant. The carrier expects its first delivery to slip from the original August 2008 target to the fourth quarter of 2009.
The 787 had been due to enter service this month with launch customer All Nippon Airways, but service entry has been postponed until next year because of ongoing production problems that delayed the first flight, which had been due in 2007 and is now expected late this year.
__________________
Olle
Sweden
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 12th May 2008, 09:32 PM
Rhys Xanthis Rhys Xanthis is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 992
Default

This is getting out of hand.

Really out of hand.

The airlines will be screaming for HUGE compensation for this delay if its true...

I wonder how this will effect QF...
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +10. The time now is 09:06 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright © Sydney Airport Message Board 1997-2022
Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Conditions of Use and Privacy Statement