Boeing Announces Delay In 747 Dreamliner Deliveries

Airplane maker Boeing has announced yet another delay to the first official deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner jet. Connecticut’s Hamilton Sundstrand has been working to correct issues on the jet’s power system. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

Boeing now says it will deliver the first of its much anticipated new aircraft in the third quarter this year. That marks the seventh delay to the program, and means the launch is three years behind schedule. Windsor Locks-based Hamilton Sundstrand makes a wide array of power and control systems for the jetliner, which relies much more on its electrical system than older model planes.

Two months ago a plane making a test flight in Texas experienced a fire in an electrical panel. The fire caused multiple system failures on the plane, and has led to questions over the jetliner’s reliability. The Connecticut company has been modifying and retesting many of its systems in the weeks since the incident, and must have its work recertified by the FAA before the plane can commence delivery.

Boeing has orders for more than 800 Dreamliners from 56 different airlines. The first delivery is now scheduled to be to Japan's All Nippon Airways sometime this fall.

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.