Think-Dash

Second 787 and 747-8F deliver to ANA and Cargolux today; first United 787 rolls out, is delayed again:

With yesterday's delivery of the first 747-8F to Cargolux, the type's launch customer has taken a second jumbo freighter today. RC504 is currently enroute to Luxembourg after departing Paine Field shortly before 1 PM PT.

Also taking place today, the second 787 has been delivered to All Nippon Airways and a flyaway to Japan is expected in the days to come, several sources tell FlightBlogger.

Airplane 24, ZA103, will join Airplane Eight in Tokyo ahead of the formal service entry of the new majority-composite jetliner on October 26 on a special charter between Tokyo-Narita and Hong Kong. The two aircraft, each painted in special ANA livery, will enter scheduled revenue on November 1 connecting Tokyo-Haneda and Hiroshima and Okayama.

Airplane 45, the first 787 for United Airlines, departed Building 40-26 last night headed for the paint hangar. The aircraft, will be delivered to United in the second half of 2012, now accounting for more than eight months of additional delay beyond the airline's assessment from the middle of last year.

The aircraft was to have inaugurated service to Auckland, New Zealand next month, but is now not scheduled to arrive in the airline's fleet until sometime after July 1, 2012, at the earliest, said CEO Jeff Smisek. The carrier now expects to see five 787s in 2012, instead of six.

United did not respond to a request for explanation by Flightglobal.