Boeing Co said on Tuesday that the first flight of its long-delayed 787 Dreamliner would be postponed once more to reinforce an area within the side-of-body section of the aircraft. The revolutionary carbon-composite aircraft, which is already two years behind its original schedule, was to fly for the first time in the second quarter of 2009.
In a statement, the No 2 planemaker did not give a new date for the first flight. It also said first delivery of the 787 would be rescheduled. "Structural modifications like these are not uncommon in the development of new airplanes, and this is not an issue related to our choice of materials or the assembly and installation work of our team," said Scott Carson, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The company said its financial outlook would be updated in July to reflect any impact from the new delay. Boeing shares were down 4.8 percent in premarket trading at $44.63.