Business Blog: Hoover’s Business Insight Zone

Given their enthusiastic, not to say swooning, reception of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, don’t be surprised if the airlines start crooning that old Everly Brothers tune:

“Whenever I want you,
all I have to do
is drea-ea-ea-ea-eam,
dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam…”

But wait! (I can hear you say) — that song is about unrequited love! I thought Boeing was cueing up the Dreamliners to pass out to enthralled customers?

Well, uh, it’s a funny thing, but . . . you know how Airbus has had all those problems delivering its megajumbo A380? I don’t want to compare that situation to Boeing’s directly, but — well, read for yourself:

Boeing delays 787 deliveries for six months

Boeing on Wednesday pushed back for six months the first deliveries of its highly touted 787 Dreamliner jet, which now will not reach eager customers until December 2008.

The US aerospace giant, in a dogfight with Europe’s Airbus for supremacy in civil aviation, also delayed the first flight of its “green” long-range jet to late March 2008.

“We are disappointed over the schedule changes,” said Boeing chief executive officer Jim McNerney.

But the CEO said that despite the delays, “we remain confident in the design of the 787, and in the fundamental innovation and technologies that underpin it.”

The delay reminds you just how complex airliners are to build; the article I just quoted goes on to talk about problems in Boeing’s worldwide supply chain for the Dreamliner, which includes many super-lightweight parts made of fancy composites.

The delay also must have Boeing kicking itself: just when it was set to gain even more ground on its archrival Airbus . . .

Ah, well, the best laid schemes gang aft agley. Or, in the immortal words of the Everly Brothers,

“Only trouble is,
gee whiz,
I’m dreamin’ my life away…”