The two moves had amassed their fair share of criticism, but the assembly line in Palmetto State has had to defend itself from the sharp arrows of criticism. In addition to moving its offices to Chicago, the manufacturer opened a final assembly facility outside of Seattle, namely in North Charleston, South Carolina. Throughout the 2000s, Boeing had started to move away from its Seattle conglomerate, where it has always been based and built aircraft. Then the issues, associated with Boeing’s North Charleston site, which delivered its first Dreamliner in 2012, began to surface a year later. First came the brief grounding of the jet starting in January 2013 and lasting through April of the same year. Operationally, though, hiccups of the Boeing 787 were rather frequent. Including the aforementioned delivery numbers, Boeing’s product has logged a total of 1,507 net orders (excluding cancellations), while the A350 managed to amass 926 orders. There is no denying that as of now, the Boeing 787 has had more commercial success. The total production numbers paint a contrast-full picture: while the Boeing 787 is approaching its first four-digit delivery number, the A350 is almost halfway there with 398 deliveries as of November 30, 2020. It also entered service with Qatar Airways two years later than the Dreamliner did. The A350 departed on the first flight two years later than the 787. Yet the former has remained a market leader.Īirbus’ product was always behind in the race for the throne of the mid-size wide-body aircraft. However, pressured by its own customers, the European plane maker had to open a clean sheet of paper and draw up the competitor to the Dreamliner – the A350. For now, the 787 is commercially more successful than the A350, yet the former is breathing down the latter’s neck.Īt first, Airbus planned to re-engine the A330 in order to compete against the Boeing 787. The two have entered the crisis in a different set of circumstances. The main competitor of the Dreamliner is the Airbus A350. Tails of the A350 and the 787: different reality? All at a time when Boeing looks to recover its positions after having found itself on the brink of a knockout following a left-right-left punch combo.

As it approaches its 1,000th delivery, the 787 Dreamliner program will enter possibly the most crucial period yet. Now, the program is being battered by the COVID-19 induced crisis.

The quality of manufacturing at one of the assembly sites was also questioned throughout the years. The aircraft had its type certificate temporarily rescinded in 2013 following issues with its lithium-ion batteries. Entering service two years later with All Nippon Airways (ANA), the journey was not smooth. On December 15, 2009, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner flew for the first time, finally defeating the delays and other issues that had plagued the program since its inception.

Boeing 787 orders to date