Qantas Group withdraws, delays orders for Boeing Dreamliners

SEATTLE – Boeing’s largest airline customer for the 787 said it is canceling orders for 15 Dreamliners and deferring another 15 by four years.

Qantas Group, the parent of Qantas and Jetstar, said today in Australia that the changes were driven by the economic climate, not this week’s announcement of a design problem that will push back the much-delayed plane’s first flight by weeks or months. Qantas has 50 remaining Dreamliners on order.

“The latest delay is disappointing, but we do not expect it to impact the Qantas Group given these changes to our delivery program,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement. “We remain committed to the aircraft as the right choice.”

Qantas placed its original 787 order in December 2005, but “the operating environment for the world’s airlines has clearly changed dramatically since then,” Joyce’s statement said. “The agreement we have reached with Boeing will provide greater certainty going forward in terms of our fleet renewal and growth strategies as well as broader resource planning and matching capacity with demand.”

The financial impact of the contract changes was not disclosed.

The first 15 aircraft for Qantas Group will now be delivered beginning mid-2013, around three years later than planned, the company said.