US aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced on June 22nd that its 787 Dreamliner's first flight would again be delayed. The 787 Dreamliner is a new, twin-engined airliner design set to serve airports the world over. With 865 orders placed for it even at this stage, the Dreamliner already stands as the fastest-selling aircraft in Boeing's history.

The re-scheduled date for the Dreamliner's maiden voyage into the skies was June 30th, but this has now been put back on account of the need for structural modifications - a decision that will impact on Dreamliner deliveries.

Dreamliner Construction

Weigh-reducing plastic composites feature prominently within the Dreamliner construction but, according to Boeing, the use of these was not connected to the new delay. "Consideration was given to a temporary solution that would allow us to fly as scheduled, but we ultimately concluded that the right thing was to develop, design, test and incorporate a permanent modification to the localized area requiring reinforcement", Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO, Scott Carson, explained.

"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."

"We are already working towards a solution and are focused on continuing our progress", Mr Carson added, while the firm's vice president, Scott Francher, detailed the extent of the area to be rectified.

"We are talking about a one or two square inch area along the upper wing joint", he said.

"It is a very limited area that needs structural reinforcement."

Boeing Dreamliner Delay

Announcing the Boeing Dreamliner delay, the firm did not specify when the initial Dreamliner flight would now take place.

As well as minimising the 787's weight, the plastics in the aircraft will also lead to greater fuel efficiency over other designs, says Boeing of its new aircraft - its first for 14 years.

It is anticipated that the Dreamliner's range will exceed comparable, contemporary twin-engined airliners, meaning it will be able to connect up airports via new air routes. These routes have been described as "long" and "thin", meaning that - in the hands of airlines including British Airways, Qantas and Continental - they will take fewer passengers over longer distances

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was rolled out in July 2007.