Strike Grounds Dreamliner to '09

Huge order of planes puts Airbus ahead of rival Boeing

(NEWSER) - With a $3.78 billion order from Singapore Airlines as the Paris Air Show wrapped up today, Airbus regained the lead over archrival Boeing, Bloomberg reports. The carrier ordered 20 new A350s from the world's largest maker of commericial aircraft, bringing the total of the company's record number of firm orders to $61.7 billion. More»

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»

(NEWSER) - Boeing was expecting to ride high on defense contracts in mid-2009 even as its 787 Dreamliner transformed air travel—but widespread problems have shadowed the firm's "dream summer," Dan Reed writes in USA Today. The Dreamliner's launch was delayed for a fifth time after structural problems were discovered, and analysts fear for the company's future as orders are canceled and defense contracts scaled down amid cutbacks and poor performance. More»

Order for 15 Dreamliners scrapped as craft's test flight is delayed again

(NEWSER) - Qantas Airways has dealt a heavy blow to Boeing's troubled Dreamliner project with the cancellation of a major order, Bloomberg reports. The Australian airline scrapped an order for 15 of the 787s, and deferred an order for 15 more. Qantas said the move was due to industry conditions and not delays with the aircraft, which is already two years behind schedule. More»

(NEWSER) - The wait for Boeing’s long-delayed first flight of its 787 Dreamliner became even longer today. The company announced it would miss its late June target because part of the plane needs to be reinforced, the Wall Street Journal reports. Boeing stock fell 7% on the news. The 787, Boeing's first new jet in more than a decade, was supposed to make its maiden flight in late 2007 but it has been plagued by production problems. More»