Boeing 787 news

[RoMax]

Romax, i know you are a big fan of Boeing, so i can see why you post this, but it seems like a desperate attempt to shift blame from Boeing. Nobody forced thel to outsource production you know. And i appologize if it wasn't meant that way, but it does seem like it.

This was in no way intended to "shift blame from Boeing". Everything that went wrong with the 788 is Boeing's responsibility in the end. Never ever denied that. Fact is that their decision to extremely outsource design and production of the 788 caused many of its problems (the management that took those decisions has been completely replaced over the past years as well). Something they realised and try to fix with the 789, that's the only thing I wanted to make clear with some aspects of the linked article.

Btw, it is not because I like Boeing as a whole, I admire everything to do (or did in the past) and defend every step they take. Neither does it mean I have something against Airbus. Except that I don't really like the A350-looks, it seems to be a very mature program and it seems Airbus learned a lot from the A380, and I'm only very happy about that. Because in the end, the only thing that matters is that airlines receive reliable and safe aircraft that offer what they want to their customers, the passengers.

[RoMax]

Today ALC firmed up their order for 30 787-10 and 3 787-9 aircraft. This order was already announced at the Paris Air Show (as one of the launching commitments for the 787-10).
Previously United Airlines (20) and Singapore Airlines (30) firmed up their 787-10 commitments, the rest is still pending (there are 102 firm orders and commitments).

ALC previously already ordered 12 787-9 aircraft, so this brings their total to 15 789's and 30 781's.
ALC currently has more than 180 Boeing aircraft on order (737-800, MAX8, MAX9, 777-300ER, 787-9 and 787-10). Quite a number for a company that was founded in early 2010. I don't know how much Airbus and Embraer aircraft they have on order, but a lot as well for sure (I remember orders for tens of A320(neo) aircraft and several E-jets°.

[RoMax]

After ALC firming up their order for 33 Dreamliners, today it was GECAS' turn with firming up its commitment for 10 Boeing 787-10's.

This brings the total on 132 gross orders (and only one cancellation, so 131 net orders) for the 787 so far for this year.
In total Boeing received 979 orders for the Dreamliner since 2004: 498 for the base version, 391 for the larger -9 and 90 for the largest version. The big majority of the orders during the last 2 years was for the two bigger versions.

[RoMax]

Yesterday (last night our time), ZB001 finished a second 5+ hours flight.
It shouldn't be too long anymore until ZB002 makes its maiden flight.
Let's hope this is a good start of a reliable test program and that they learned A LOT from the 788 disaster.

[earthman]

The lesson seems to be: do it yourself if you want it done right.

[Passenger]

Norwegian Air Shuttle sends one of its two Dreamliners back to Boeing for a check-up after yet another failure last week (hydraulic pump). "The aircraft's reliability is simply not acceptable, our passengers cannot live with this kind of performance," Norwegian told Reuters. Meanwhile, Norwegian will lease a HiFly A340 for its long haul.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/ ... 6E20130928

[regi]

Norwegian Air Shuttle sends one of its two Dreamliners back to Boeing for a check-up after yet another failure last week (hydraulic pump). "The aircraft's reliability is simply not acceptable, our passengers cannot live with this kind of performance," Norwegian told Reuters. Meanwhile, Norwegian will lease a HiFly A340 for its long haul.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/ ... 6E20130928

happened in BKK.
What a humiliation: a Dreamliner being traded in for a A340. ( Flanker could be right regarding his view on the A-340 program ) Could be worse: Norwegian could have asked for a Il-96.
Or completely bonkers: ask Biman to do some subcontracting with their last DC-10. Still some months to go.
http://www.ch-aviation.ch/portal/news/1 ... n-december

[Passenger]

What a humiliation: a Dreamliner being traded in for a A340

It will be one of these:
http://www.hifly.pt/en/fleet

HiFly has 3 x A340-300, 2 x A340-500, 1 x A340-600

[cathay belgium]

Hi,
Guess that JAF did found a great successor for their replacement of OOooo-TUC !!
The 787 story continue ...
A350 really can have a serious amount of troubles to equal this story!
CXB

[Passenger]

update (analysis) by Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/ ... HR20130930

[sn26567]

Today Boeing acknowledged the reliability issues of its 787 Dreamliners and said it is taking steps to make the new high-tech plane more dependable.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Marketing Vice President Randy Tinseth estimates today's reliability of the 787 at 95%. "I would refer to the problems as teething problems, I don't think they're systemic," he said.

The aircraft has suffered an assortment of electrical and safety issues, the latest of which were over the weekend when budget airline Norwegian Air Shuttle grounded a brand new 787 Dreamliner and demanded that Boeing repair it after it suffered repeated breakdowns.

On Sunday, a 787 operated by Poland's carrier, LOT airline, had to land unexpectedly in Iceland due to a fault with the craft's identification system.

The problem followed electrical and other safety issues that have afflicted the Dreamliner, including battery meltdowns that prompted regulators to ban the long-haul jetliner from flight for more than three months this year.

Tinseth said the process of improving reliability could be a long one.

Full details from Reuters

[RoMax]

Seems like Norwegian is cooling down now that Boeing speeded up their technical support for the aircraft. The CEO of Norwegian said the grounded aircraft can return to short haul service later this week and that they are confident enough in the future of the aircraft. The aircraft even shows a better performance than expected/promised by Boeing when looking at fuel burn and they may order more Dreamliners. But the thing is that Boeing was not prepared to cope with the theeting problems of the aircraft and was suprised by the amount of problems Norwegian experienced with their Dreamliners.

http://airguideonline.com/2013/10/02/gr ... this-week/

[sn26567]

But the thing is that Boeing was not prepared to cope with the theeting problems of the aircraft and was suprised by the amount of problems Norwegian experienced with their Dreamliners.

Next in line is LOT: Boeing is also certainly not ready to cope with the financial demands for compensation that the Polish carrier is claiming now: three months of grounding, absence of oil filters in three engines, breakdown of transponders, the incidents have been accumulating at LOT, which is asking for 15 to 30 million dollars of compensation. Without a favourable answer from Boeing, LOT will go to court.

There is also that little story I didn't hear before, which made LOT bosses angry: on July 25th, LOT officials arrived at Boeing in Everett, Washington to take possession of their 5th Dreamliner, tail number SP-LRE. Only when they got there, the plane was not ready to fly. Not even close. It took 4 more days before the company could get the aircraft home to Poland.

Boeing better react swiftly: Norwegian and LOT are the only airlines whose long-haul fleet is exclusively made of 787s.

http://christinenegroni.blogspot.be/201 ... ms-in.html

Meanwhile, Boeing reports that it has delivered no less than 23 Dreamliners in the 3rd quarter, and 40 so far this year.

[RoMax]

Next in line is LOT: Boeing is also certainly not ready to cope with the financial demands for compensation that the Polish carrier is claiming now

This is not a matter of "not ready to cope with", but rather "not willing to cope with". It seems Boeing thinks LOT is asking way too much for the troubles caused by Boeing and is using the 787 to fill their own financial holes. Though, driving this so far that LOT goes to court is a dangerous game for Boeing, they'll have to pay anyway and whatever they have to pay, it will always seem as they come out as the big loser.

Apperently, last week a serious incident also occured on a 787 of Air India at EMC (undergoing rework, so one of the earlier aircraft). A hydraulic line is said to be 'exploded', causing serious damage to the wing.
https://twitter.com/mattcawby/status/385817132220440576

On a more bright note, Boeing delivered the first Dreamliner to Royal Brunei (shortly after they already delivered the first 787 to Jetstar). Currently 91 Dreamliners are delivered (operated by 16 airlines):

- ANA: 23
- JAL: 11
- Air India: 8
- Qatar Airways: 8
- United: 7
- Ethiopian: 5
- LOT: 5
- Thomson: 4
- LAN: 4
- British Airways: 4
- China Southern: 4
- Hainan: 3
- Norwegian: 2
- Aeromexico: 1
- Jetstar: 1
- Royal Brunei: 1

It seems like Jetairfly will be the only remaining new airline to take delivery of a Dreamliner this year. The next new big customer will be Air Canada (in the first quarter of 2014 if I remember correctly).

[MD-11forever]

Two Japan Airlines Dreamliners Return to Airports After Snags

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Japan Airlines Co., the world’s second-largest operator of Boeing Co. Dreamliners, diverted two of the 787 jets back to their departure airports today after
separate problems with the aircraft.
A 787 bound for Tokyo returned to Moscow after electrical issues with the toilet and galley that were unrelated to the battery, said Norihisa Hanyu, a spokesman at the airline. Another Dreamliner headed back to San Diego airport after an indicator showed problems with an engine de-icing system, said
Takuya Shimoguchi, another company spokesman.
The flight from San Diego, bound for Tokyo, was able to take off again after maintenance, Shimoguchi said.

[Passenger]

Two Japan Airlines Dreamliners Return to Airports After Snags

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Japan Airlines Co., the world’s second-largest operator of Boeing Co. Dreamliners, diverted two of the 787 jets back to their departure airports today after separate problems with the aircraft. A 787 bound for Tokyo returned to Moscow after electrical issues with the toilet and galley that were unrelated to the battery, said Norihisa Hanyu, a spokesman at the airline. Another Dreamliner headed back to San Diego airport after an indicator showed problems with an engine de-icing system, said
Takuya Shimoguchi, another company spokesman. The flight from San Diego, bound for Tokyo, was able to take off again after maintenance, Shimoguchi said.

Report for the Moscow-Tokyo incident:
http://avherald.com/h?article=469b87a5&opt=0

[sn26567]

... and the San Diego one: http://www.avherald.com/h?article=469b8bd4

[RoMax]

Forget the batteries and possible fire, this time it fell appart mid-air. At least, according to Air India, one of their 787's lost a panel during a flight.
Well, based on the picture, either that panel was never there or it was by far not sealed as it should be as there seems to be little to no reall damage except for the missing panel. No damage was found, they apperently took a panel from another 787 due to the lack of spare parts in Bangalore and they flew back to Delhi...
Maintenance or manufactering issue?

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalor ... 162063.cms

[flightlover]

Forget the batteries and possible fire, this time it fell appart mid-air. At least, according to Air India, one of their 787's lost a panel during a flight.
Well, based on the picture, either that panel was never there or it was by far not sealed as it should be as there seems to be little to no reall damage except for the missing panel. No damage was found, they apperently took a panel from another 787 due to the lack of spare parts in Bangalore and they flew back to Delhi...
Maintenance or manufactering issue?

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalor ... 162063.cms

'Aircraft engineers of the national carrier at the Bangalore International Aiport (BIA) were preparing the plane, a Boeing Dreamliner, for its return trip to Delhi when the missing part, located between the main landing gear, was discovered.'

Strange, there should be shocks placed at the rear wheals, and the one placing them didn't notice?
Or is this another case of not getting recognition for a job well done?

[RoMax]

Strange, there should be shocks placed at the rear wheals, and the one placing them didn't notice?
Or is this another case of not getting recognition for a job well done?

Many aspects of this story are at least very strange. Losing such a part during flight...but no damage and nothing discovered until preparations before departure.
I should be carefull saying this, but it is Air India after all, still trying to blame Boeing for all their commercial faillures.