First flight of Boeing 787 still set for September, but delay possible

SEATTLE (AP) - Boeing Co. is still targeting the end of September for the first flight of its new 787 Dreamliner, but the aircraft maker said Friday it could delay the flight due to several complex steps that remain in the passenger jet's final assembly. "That date could move into fall as we proceed to do all the work in front of us," Boeing spokeswoman Yvonne Leach said.

Leach said the final assembly of the midsize jet, the integration of its aviation, hydraulic, electronic and other systems and software, plus several rounds of structural testing could all influence the timing of the first flight.

Boeing continues to push ahead in spite of an industrywide shortage of fasteners that hold the plane together. Other snags, including fuselage sections that didn't precisely fit together, have been worked out, said Leach.

Even if the first flight were delayed, Leach said Boeing has plans in place to ensure the first delivery of the long-haul Dreamliner, to Japan's All Nippon Airways, will be as scheduled in May 2008.

© The Canadian Press, 2007