The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep ...
-- Robert Frost
Mr. Frost isn't the only one with promises to keep. Last week, Boeing
And only ANA.
As luck would have it, around about the same time Boeing was promising to seal the deal with ANA, it has apparently been backtracking with almost everybody else. According to an Aviation Week story that ran over the weekend, Boeing's been running 'round the airline industry, telling other buyers of the plane, who thought their wait was over, that it's only just begun.
Between design changes necessitated as the 787 undergoes testing, and postproduction tweaks to planes already built, it looks like some deliveries could be postponed anywhere from three to 10 months past their most recent promised delivery dates. So far, American buyers appear largely unaffected by the delays, so that's good news for United Continental
But now, we hear another problem could be cropping up because of supplier infighting. Yesterday, Barron's mentioned that key 787 supplier United Technologies
It's all very messy, very complicated, and none of it will make it any easier for Boeing to keep its promises next year. Or help Boeing investors sleep easy at night.