Boeing delays maiden flight of Dreamliner

Boeing conceded that it could be as late as December before its much-anticipated 787 Dreamliner takes to the skies, at least three months behind schedule, due to a shortage of parts from suppliers.

While Boeing said it is sticking with the 787's original delivery schedule, it has little room for further slippage.

Boeing anticipates putting the lightweight passenger aircraft into the air sometime between mid-November and mid-December. In July, executives said they anticipated the first flight in late September, a target that had already been pushed back from an August-September goal.

Boeing said it still anticipates delivering its first 787 in May, going to Japan's All Nippon Airlines.

But delays in the aircraft's launch could eat into next year's ambitious production schedule and has an eerie ring of familiarity to many industry watchers. EADS, the parent of rival Airbus, has suffered losses and management turmoil because of a two-year delay in the roll-out of its next-generation aircraft, the A380. Those delays only emerged after its first test flight.

Problems with software coding, documentation and a shortage of tiny fasteners needed to hold the aircraft together were the main reasons for the 787 delays, executives said.

Meanwhile, Boeing and Aeroflot, Russia's national airline, have finalised an order for 22 Boeing 787-8s valued at US$3.6 billion at list prices.