By IANS
New Delhi : Air India will demand compensation from Boeing for delay in the delivery of its 787 Dreamliner, said a top company official here Friday.
Air India Chairman and Managing Director V. Thulasidas said the delay in procuring the new aircraft was affecting the company’s expansion plans.
Boeing announced early this week that it was delaying the delivery of Dreamliners by about nine months.
“We are in talks for compensation and Boeing is willing to give us the compensation,” Thulasidas told reporters.
Air India was scheduled to receive the first of the 27 Dreamliners in the second half of 2008. It would now get the delivery sometime in February 2009.
The carrier is now waiting for a revised delivery schedule.
“We have to look for alternatives now,” Thulasidas said, adding the initial delay of six months had also affected the airline. “Further delays have now created difficulties.”
Jet Airways, which has ordered 10 Dreamliners, meanwhile said they were not likely to be affected by the delays.
“Our deliveries only start in mid-2011, so we don’t believe we will be affected,” said a Jet Airways spokesperson.