Plans of acquiring the long-delayed Dreamliner jets deferred again, as sources claim Boeing is unwilling to pay the compensation of $840 million for a two-year delay as demanded by Air India

India's hope of travelling in comfort by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the super-efficient jumbo jet made by the US-based Boeing Commercial Airplanes will have to wait as plans have been delayed yet again.



The national carrier's plans of buying the passengers jets will have to brave further storms, as there is a delay in the delivery owing to disagreements over payment between the two parties, claimed inside sources.

In the year 2006, Air India ordered 27 Dreamliners as part of a plan to buy 68 passenger jets worth about $8.1 billion from Boeing. The aircrafts were scheduled to be delivered in 2009, but later shifted to 2010 and now the delivery date has been shifted to the fourth quarter of 2011.
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Owing to the delay in the process of delivery Air India authorities are asking for a compensation of about $840 million.

"Air India and Boeing are disagreeing on the terms of compensation. Boeing officials are not comfortable with coughing up $840 million as the compensation amount," said a civil aviation ministry official, on condition of anonymity.

Sources claim that till the time Boeing and Air India do not reach common ground, travelling by the jets will be a distant dream. Speaking to MiD DAY, an Air India spokesperson said, "The government of India and the Civil Aviation Minister including top management at Air India are holding talks with Boeing to finalise the amount of compensation."

Meanwhile, Boeing's India president Dinesh Keskar refused to reveal the compensation amount and the date of delivery of the Dreamliners. "We understand that there has been a delay in the delivery of the jets. We are working on the same but at this time I cannot tell you the exact amount of the compensation asked."