SEATTLE (AP) -- The Boeing Co. has started the process of powering up its highly anticipated 787 jetliner for the first time.
Boeing engineers are working section by section to make sure power is flowing to each system on the 787, spokeswoman Yvonne Leach said Thursday.
Leach would not give further details about the process, which began Wednesday morning, or say exactly how long it will take.
''We are confident that we will have that complete by the end of June,'' she said, meeting a goal set earlier by the company.
Power-on is a major milestone for the much-delayed 787 program. For its first newly designed jet since the 777 entered commercial service in 1995, Boeing devised a new production system that relied on outside companies for manufacturing, testing and partial assembly. Early on, the program was plagued by parts shortages and problems with partner companies.
Boeing has said those issues have been resolved, but flipping the power switches to ''on'' will test how well the company has been able to work through those problems.
''It's going well,'' Leach said. When asked if everything was working so far, she repeated, ''As far as I want to go is, it's going well.''
The 787, the first large commercial airplane made mostly of carbon-fiber composites, must still undergo structural testing to ensure it stands up to extreme conditions, and flight testing to show the plane can fly properly in different altitudes and climates, among other factors.
If all goes well, the first 787 will be delivered to All Nippon Airways in the third quarter of 2009.
