Boeing's Dreamliner A Nightmare In Disguise?

I've been critical of Airbus in the past for missing production deadlines with its A380 superjumbo, but Boeing has succumbed to delays as well on its 787 Dreamliner.

After a six-month delay announced last October, Boeing had been aiming to start test-flying the new midsize, long-haul plane by the end of March and deliver the first one to Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co. by the end of the year.

The new schedule calls for test flights to begin by late June. The company did not say how soon in 2009 it believes it can start delivering the plane, which has won more than 800 orders so far.

One of the first key milestones for the first plane — turning on its power — has been delayed until early in the second quarter, said Pat Shanahan, general manager of the 787 program. After that, it will take two to three months to run all the ground tests needed before the plane can fly.

Carson said the delay will prevent the company from meeting its ambitious goal of delivering 109 planes by the end of next year. He said the company will spend the next few months analyzing the status of the program before specifying how much it is lowering that target.

This is going to hit the company hard on its bottom line, and airlines may reconsider purchases down the road if the company can't meet its deadlines.

One of the reasons for the delays is the inability to get parts from its multiple subcontractors - including fasteners needed to link together pieces of the fuselage.