In a not totally unexpected announcement, Boeing and ANA have announced that 787 entry into service had been pushed back to March 2011, with international use put back to June 2011.
These dates are subject to the aircraft arriving in February 2011.
ANA says the delayed entry into service is “regrettable”.
Issues have emerged with both the horizontal stabilisers and with the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines which have pushed back this entry into service, forcing Boeing and Rolls Royce to step back and fix the outstanding issues.
Currently, plans are afoot to use the 787 to replace 767 routes, so Beijing and Shanghai could be the first routes to see the 787 in action. Meanwhile there is serious consideration to operating long haul services out of Tokyo Haneda Airport.
Meanwhile Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Air India are getting to the point where they are demanding compensation from Boeing over the delays.
The continuing setbacks for the project should be another warning to Airbus, who have started work on their A350XWB which itself is slipping into 2014.
