Will Boeing Be Forced to Delay Dreamliner Deliveries?

Boeing (NYSE:BA) faced some selling pressure on Friday afternoon as more bad news piled up surrounding the ongoing investigation into the 787 Dreamliner. Reports indicate that the aerospace-manufacturer has told two European airlines, originally scheduled to receive Dreamliner shipments in the coming months, that deliveries will be delayed as a result of the investigation.

The emergency air-worthiness directive issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on January 16 grounded the aircraft in the U.S., and subsequently nations around the world all grounded their fleets. In total, there are about 50 delivered Dreamliners that cannot fly, and as many as 10 more sitting on the runway outside of Boeing’s final assembly facility in Washington state.

The two airlines immediately affected are Britain’s Thomson Airways and Norwegian Air Shuttle, both of which will seek interim solutions to problems caused by the delay. Both airlines had planned new routes to go with their receipt of the new aircraft, and will likely lease aircraft to fill in while the investigation drags on…