Friday, February 8, 2013

Boeing advises Norwegian Air Shuttle of 787 delivery delays

Boeing has warned Norwegian Air Shuttle of possible delays in delivery of its first 787 due to problems with lithium-ion batteries and FAA grounding of the aircraft.

The low-cost carrier, which expected to receive the first two of eight 787-8s in late April and June, was scheduled to operate its first long-haul services from Oslo to New York and Bangkok in May.
If the delay is confirmed, Norwegian said it would lease replacement aircraft for up to three months to ensure the new services went ahead.

“I fully understand that customers who have been looking forward to flying our Dreamliner during the first weeks are disappointed by today’s announcement,” Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos said. “We will, however, ensure that our passengers get to New York and Bangkok as smoothly and comfortably as possible. We will also give our customers the option to change their flights to a later departure free of charge. As one of Boeing's biggest customers in Europe, we expect that the aircraft manufacturer does everything in its power to get the aircraft ready for delivery as soon as possible,” he added.

“We deeply regret the impact the recent events have had on the schedule of Norwegian and their customers,” Boeing said in a statement. “We are staying in close communication with the airline as we work toward an approved means of compliance with the FAA Airworthiness Directive and develop a plan for resumption of 787 deliveries.”

(Alan Dron - ATWOnline News)

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