Boeing finds fix for delayed Dreamliner

Boeing has found a solution to the problem that delayed the inaugural flight of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft – but declined to say when the plane may finally get off the ground.

The manufacturer said it had found a "technical solution to the requirement to reinforce an area within the side-of-body joint, and is currently evaluating alternative ways to implement that solution".

Richard Aboulafia, aerospace industry analyst at the Teal Group, called the news "a silver lining surrounding very dark clouds". Revenues have been falling at Boeing's commercial aircraft business because the recession has crimped demand for new planes from the world's airlines.

The company's profit in the second quarter, though, was up 17 per cent to $998m thanks to cost-cutting and a 9 per cent increase in sales on the military aircraft side of the business.

The 787, a cutting-edge carbon-composite aircraft designed to be lighter and more fuel efficient than other planes, is two years behind schedule. The discovery of a structural weakness where the wing meets the aircraft was announced last month.