Boeing Dreamliner flight delayed

Boeing has 706 firm orders for its Dreamliner

The first test flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner jet is set to be delayed by three months.

The aircraft's maiden voyage is now scheduled to take place between mid-November and mid-December.

However, the US planemaker said the Dreamliner would still be delivered on time, in May 2008.

Boeing is battling to complete work on parts of the plane which are at its plant in Everett, Washington. It has also had problems with flight software.

A shortage of permanent bolts, or fasteners, made by Alcoa is also contributing to the delay, the company said.

'Minimal' costs

The announcement means that Boeing's test flight schedule will be shortened to about six months.

The company spent 11 months on flight tests for its 777, its last commercial jet.

Boeing, which has 706 firm orders for the Dreamliner, will be keen to avoid a repeat of the catastrophic problems suffered by rival Airbus, whose A380 superjumbo was about two years late.

Chief executive of Boeing's commercial plane unit, Scott Carson said that even if deliveries to customers were delayed, the financial impact would be "minimal".

The plane - which is Boeing's first all-new jet since 1995 - was unveiled in July this year.

It is the only big commercial aircraft made mostly of carbon fibre rather than aluminium and is billed as the most environmentally friendly ever built.

Boeing says the 787 is much more fuel efficient than its competitors and produces 20% less carbon dioxide.