Delays mount for 787 Dreamliner debut

CHICAGO, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The six-month delay in delivering Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner may be getting longer, the U.S. jet maker said.

Boeing Co., with its international headquarters in Chicago, is experiencing a host of problems -- from parts shortages to supplier-related issues -- getting its new aircraft into the hands of airlines, sources familiar with the situation told The Wall Street Journal. Now the maker said the first 787 may not make its first flight until June.

Further delays in getting the Dreamliner off the assembly line would make it impossible for Boeing to meet its goal of delivering 109 airplanes by the end of 2009, the sources said. If that occurs, the company could face millions of dollars in penalty payments to airlines that placed orders.

The first plane still is missing key components, including wiring and cockpit instruments, the Journal reported. Originally scheduled to fly last summer, the inaugural aircraft's maiden flight may not happen until June -- once components are installed and testing is complete -- about nine months late.

The new delay, which may be announced soon, pushes back the timetable for the 787 to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration until early 2009.