Boeing Dreamliner a dream for a bit longer

CHICAGO, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The maiden flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has been pushed back to the end of the second quarter of this year, the U.S. aeronautical giant said Wednesday.

The much rumored delay also pushes out deliveries to early 2009 instead of late 2008, Boeing, headquartered in Chicago, said in a release.

"The fundamental design and technologies of the 787 remain sound," said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "However, we continue to be challenged by start-up issues in our factory and in our extended global supply-chain."

Over the next several weeks, Boeing will work with its customers and suppliers to assess the impacts of the schedule change on the 787's flight test program and entry into the market, the aircraft maker said.

"We are deeply disappointed by what this delay means for our customers, and we are committed to working closely with them as we assess the impact on our delivery schedules," Carson said.