Airbus Goes Light on New A350 Jetliner

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»

Customers eager to get fuel-efficient airliner as delays push to 14 months

(NEWSER) - Boeing is expected to delay delivery of its 787 Dreamliner for a third time, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports, as the company continues to struggle with parts shortages, redesigns, and manufacturing partners falling behind schedule. Analysts expect at least another 6-month delay to be announced tomorrow, pushing back the new fuel-efficient airliner a total of 14 months from its original delivery date. More»

Rivals for $40 billion Air Force deal bring out big guns

(NEWSER) - The battle between Boeing and Airbus soared to new levels of rancor this week at the Paris Air Show, where the companies are competing to supply the US Air Force with fuel tankers in a contract worth up to $40 billion. The open crossfire was unusual, the Wall Street Journal notes, for a defense industry in which rivals on one project are often partners on the next. 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»