KEY POINTS:
Air New Zealand is going to have to wait even longer for the first of its new, more fuel efficient, Boeing 787-9 planes.
Boeing yesterday told Air NZ it now expected to deliver the first of the eight 787-9 aircraft on firm order by Air NZ in the first quarter of 2013, the airline said today.
That was 12 months later than previously advised, with that date itself having been previously delayed from the expected initial first delivery date around the end of 2010.
Air NZ said compensation discussions were continuing.
Confirmation of the delay comes a fortnight after Boeing pushed back the schedule for the troubled 787 Dreamliner, blaming a two-month strike by its machinists and problems with wrongly installed bolts on the first batch of planes.
It was the fourth major delay on the 787, which is now about two years behind schedule, as Boeing struggles with problems assembling the carbon-composite jetliner, mostly due to late design changes, shortages of parts and substandard work by suppliers.
Air NZ also has four 777-300ER aircraft on order from Boeing, due to be delivered in 2010 and 2011, and said the first delivery remained on schedule.
- NZPA
