United Continental Holdings for the first time confirms it is seeking damages from Boeing for 787 delivery delays. The operator has 50 firm orders for the 787, a legacy of the Continental Airlines-United Airlines merger in 2010. The first batch of aircraft are 787-8s from Continental’s order, which originally had expected to add its first 787 in March 2009 before Boeing initiated a series of program delays. (www.aviationweek.com) More...
The Indian Government said that Air India should not buy any new planes due to there current finanacial problems. Air India said they wanted the 787. This was in an article from Aviation Week about 3 or so weeks ago.
Most airplane sales often contain a clause that allows the buyer to seek damages should the provider fails to deliver per the contract.
It has been my experience that all new developments of large aircraft start of with a target date where deliveries will start. I have yet to see any large aircraft maintain schedule and thus costs. Anyone that thinks that problems will not occur during development of an are living in lala land. In the commercial arena, these "problems" will result in schedule slips and added costs which have to be passed on to customers.
There is a difference when it comes (in general) to Government aircraft projects. When you enter Full Scale Engineering and Development (FSED) the contracts are cost plus with fixed fee. This recognize that development has many variables that effect schedule and costs.
Bottom line - all major programs have problems and cost and schedule are effect. In the commercial airline business, Boeing and Airbus often sell airplanes with delivery dates prior to or early in the development stages. This is the result of airlines wanting damages for late delivery.
Agreed, but the 787 above and beyond "takes the cake", no other Boeing or Airbus project has stunk like this one. That's what Boeing gets for trying to "reinvent the wheel". Should have just stuck to what they knew and only out sourced to reliable parties. Just my $.02 worth is all.
I don't know that the 787 is that bad. We are probably more sensitive to the 787 as it is an American plan.
However, there was a lot of bad press on the A380. Assembly problems delayed deliver for over one year. Early surprise when the wing fail its final test. The A380 was also a major "reivent the wheel" too. No one had tried to build such a large aircraft.
It will be interesting to following Airbus's A350 project. The original design was rejected and started over with the A350WBX. That has set there project about 2 - 3 years.
All I am saying is that major developments will likely miss schedule and increase costs with anyone (Boeing, Airbus, etc.).
United wants the damn planes, regardless of the fact that there are still some manufacturing problems with them. So what if the not all the parts fit together as they should...we wants dem planes, and if you can't give da planes you promised, we gonna sue ya.
I believe that the first delivery (ANA) was set for 2009(?). Several delays including the electrical fire that forced one of the test 787s to land in Laredo. The other was the more time than expected to integrate the major components from different suppliers. There are others. Basically, Boeing is behind about 2 years in deliveries. Also I think they have had difficult getting RR Trent engines too.
Also the 787 did not pass its first go at the wing stress test, so Boeing had to modify alot of the already built 787's including customer and test planes.
