Congress Will Nix Airbus Deal, Boeing Says

Company prepares long-delayed 787 for maiden flight

(NEWSER) - Boeing's Dreamliner will make its maiden flight next week after two years of delays. The high-tech aircraft could be airborne on a test flight of about five hours Tuesday if Seattle's weather permits, reports the Post-Intelligencer . Boeing has much staked on the plane, made of 50% composite material. It's locked in a fierce fight with Airbus to deliver the fuel-saving jet of the future, notes the Wall Street Journal . It has nearly 900 planes on order but can't deliver any until the model passes muster with the FAA. More»

Will re-tool tanker to compete for Pentagon refueling contract

(NEWSER) - With its 787 Dreamliner delayed, Boeing is turning to its 14-year-old 777 to compete with Airbus’ next plane, Bloomberg reports. At the Paris Air Show today, Boeing said it may make a new wing for the 777 in an effort to boost fuel efficiency, and will also showcase a 777-based tanker to rejoin the battle with Airbus for a Pentagon contract. More»

Boeing demands extra 4 months in new bid in tanker war

(NEWSER) - Boeing has warned the Pentagon it will pull out of the new bidding to build a fleet of air tankers unless it gets an extra four months to prepare a bid, the Wall Street Journal reports. A Boeing pullout would leave the Air Force with no competition for a $35 billion contract to replace 179 aging refueling planes. More»

Bidding changes seen to justify previous decision

(NEWSER) - The Pentagon issued new criteria yesterday for the second round of bidding on its lucrative fuel-tanker contract, Bloomberg reports, and Boeing backers immediately cried foul. The new terms give bonus points to a plane that carries more fuel than the earlier guidelines, which Boeing officials and congressional allies claim favors its European-backed rival, Northrop Grumman. More»

(NEWSER) - The Pentagon will re-open a $35 billion contract to build the Air Force's fleet of new refueling tankers and pick a new winner by the end of the year, congressional sources say. The Office of the Secretary of Defense—not the Air Force—will oversee the new competition between Boeing Co. and a team led by Northrop Grumman Corp. More»