787 Dreamliner Delivery to Air India Delayed Again

India’s hope of traveling in comfort by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the fuel-efficient jumbo jet made by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, will have to wait as delivery plans have been delayed yet again.

Back in 2006, Air India, India’s oldest and largest airline, ordered 27 Dreamliners as part of a plan to buy 68 passenger jets worth about $8.1 billion from Boeing. The aircraft were originally scheduled to be delivered in 2009, but due to problem’s at Boeing’s production unit that date was moved to 2010 and now has been further pushed back to the fourth quarter of 2011.

Needless to say, the massive delay has cost Air India a ton of money – rough estimates show a potential revenue of $1.5 billion was lost – and they are asking to be compensated to the tune of $840 million in return.

While Boeing’s India president, Dinesh Keskar, refused to reveal whether or not his company would meet that lofty request by AI, he did acknowledge the delay and say that they [Air India] would be compensated for their losses.

“We are going to pay them the penalty and are talking with them to workout the amount.”

In addition to being compesated, Keskar said that Boeing would deliver 18 787 Dreamliners by the end of this quarter.

via NDTV