Late yesterday evening, Boeing and the IAM announced that both sides had walked away from the bargaining table as talks had once again broken down in an effort to negotiate an acceptable contract and end the 39 day strike that has paralyzed jetliner production.
As a result. Boeing has now begun to publicly speculate that first flight for 787 could move into 2009, while maintaining officially that first flight will occur in 2008.
Randy Tinseth, Vice President of Marketing for Boeing Commercial Aircraft, said in Paris today that:
“There is no question that a prolonged strike will move the first flight into next year. But we don’t know how long it will last.”
We are looking very closely at it. An extended strike will push the first flight into next year. Whether we are in an extended strike is something we are looking at.”
An assessment of the 787 schedules obtained by this blogger, point to a January first flight at the earliest. This conclusion is based on several key assumptions.
1. According to program sources, assembly of Dreamliner One was set to be completed on August 31, but was pushed to October 6 before the strike began.
2. The same schedules indicate that first flight was originally set for October 29, but had shifted into November as of the Farnborough Air Show in July.
3. Boeing expects a one-for-one slip in the 787 schedule due to the strike.
Key ground vibration tests need to be completed on Dreamliner Two before Dreamliner One can fly as well. With a 36-day slip in assembly completion and 39-day strike, the October 29 first flight now finds itself in January.
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.