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Boeing delays its 747-8 freight plane
BOEING, which is reeling from the troubled 787 Dreamliner programme, said yesterday it would delay the first flight and delivery of its 747-8 Freighter and take a $1bn (£628m) charge because of high production costs and tough market conditions.
The delay – the second announced this year for the new generation of the jumbo aircraft – pushes the first flight to early 2010 from the fourth quarter of 2009 and delivery to the fourth quarter of 2010 from the third quarter.
Boeing, which has about 100 orders for 747-8s on its books at list prices between $293m and $308m, gets paid by customers at delivery.
The charge and the related delay also called into question the credibility of the commercial airplanes arm.