All Nippon Airways firms up Boeing 787 delivery schedule and interim aircraft needs
26 Sep 2008
Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. has announced that it will receive its first Boeing 787 jetliner by August 2009, over a year behind schedule.
A statement by the Japanese airline said that ANA has reached agreement with Boeing on the delivery schedule for the delayed 787, which was drawn up to minimise the impact of the delay on ANA's business plan.
ANA has not been happy about the delays in the 787 programme, what has witnessed postponements thrice and is almost two years behind the original schedule.
At a meeting of the ANA board of directors, it was decided that the airline would also introduce nine 767-300ER aircraft to cover its interim lift needs, during financial years 2010 and 011, ending March 2012. It will also revise the retirement schedule of its present fleet and its maintenance schedule.
ANA's statement said that the delay to the delivery of the 787 was accounted for in ANA's Corporate Plan, 2008, accordingly no change will be made to the outlook for the current fiscal year as announced on April 30, 2008.
As for the delivery schedule, the statement said that there would be no change to its firm order of 50 Dreamliners, with the first delivery being moved from May 2008 to August 2009. The delivery rate stands amended to six jets a year till 2017, against the initial plan of seven jets per annum until 2015.
A strike by the machinists union at Boeing that started in early September has caused production stoppages across Boeing's facilities, including the 787 program.
