Planemaker Boeing will today announce a possible 18-month delay in delivery of its new “green” 787 Dreamliner aircraft which has been ordered by a number of British airlines.
The carriers affected, which include British Airways and Sir Richard Branson's airline Virgin Atlantic, could seek compensation from Boeing which has faced major production difficulties with the new plane.
BA has ordered 24 Dreamliners with the first due to arrive in 2010, while the first of Virgin's 15 Dreamliners was due to be delivered in 2011.
Two UK holiday airlines - Monarch and First Choice - have also ordered the Dreamliner, which is a medium-sized, twin-engined aircraft which is more fuel-efficient, less polluting and quieter than other Boeing planes.
Virgin Atlantic spokesman Paul Charles said today: "Clearly we would not be happy with any further delay but we are still confident about the Dreamliner programme.
"Inevitably in any large project there are problems and Boeing have to get it right. We are in discussions with Boeing about a number of options, including possible compensation."
A Boeing spokesman said: "We are making a progress report at 4pm."
If all had gone according to original plans, the launch customer for the Dreamliner - Japan's All Nippon Airways - would have started operating passenger services in May.
The first test flight of the plane, which has still not take place, was to have been around August/September 2007, but had slipped to around the end of June and now faces a further delay.