Air NZ Says Boeing 787 Now Delayed To 2013

Air New Zealand will have to wait an extra year to take delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and is still seeking compensation from the plane maker, it said on Wednesday.
Boeing announced on December 11 a fourth delay to the delivery of the troubled aircraft because of a strike by machinists and problems with wrongly installed bolts on the first batch of planes.
"Boeing confirmed yesterday a further 12 month delay could be expected with the first 787-9 aircraft to be delivered to Air New Zealand in the first quarter of 2013," the airline said in a statement on Wednesday.
Air NZ has eight of the planes on order, the first of which was originally due to be delivered around the end of 2010, and then delayed to early 2012.
The lightweight carbon-composite plane promises to cut fuel costs by 20 percent, but Boeing has found it harder than expected to put together the plane using its far-flung network of suppliers.
Air NZ said an order for four Boeing 777-300ER aircraft was still on track with delivery in 2010 and 2011