All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Japan, which took delivery of its second 787 Dreamliner two months ago, said Thursday that delivery of its third 787 is delayed because of production issues at Boeing, disrupting the carrier’s planned introduction of international 787 routes.
“This is a new delay,” said ANA spokeswoman Jean Saito.
Among the problems that have slowed Dreamliner production recently: a routine Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit of the next three planes due for delivery found some wiring that had been installed incorrectly.
Also, the auxiliary power units on three Dreamliners failed to start and had to be replaced, Boeing acknowledged.
In late October, Boeing reduced its 787 delivery forecast for the year to between five and seven jets.
But with the latest production issues, an insider familiar with the details said Boeing may end up delivering as few as four and no more than six in total.
ANA had planned to introduce the third Dreamliner on flights from Tokyo to Beijing this month, then switch the aircraft to a new long-distance route to Frankfurt, Germany, in January. With the delay, the third Dreamliner will now fly to Beijing only three times, starting Jan. 14, before having to switch to the Frankfurt route as planned on Jan. 21.
Saito said Boeing hasn’t told ANA exactly when it will get the airplane. “We are told sometime this month,” she said.
Boeing spokeswoman Jennifer Cram said “we are working closely with our customer to minimize the impact and expect to deliver this airplane as quickly as possible.”
Saito said the airline still expects to get 11 Dreamliners by the end of March, but following the latest delay has no firm schedule for the planes. “After the third airplane, we are still discussing with Boeing and adjusting, and trying to get a more concrete schedule,” she said.
ANA at least had one piece of good Boeing news to share. Airline spokeswoman Saito said the first two Dreamliners, operating on domestic routes in Japan, have had a smooth entry into service.
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