Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

“Unresolved contractual issues” have forced Boeing to delay or possibly cancel delivery of the first two <a href="?q=node/30864">747-8 Freighters</a> to Cargolux, originally scheduled for today and Wednesday. The rejection of the deliveries by the Luxembourg-based cargo carrier comes as an embarrassment for Boeing, which had planned to hold special ceremonies this week in Everett, Wash., to mark the milestone following some two years of delays caused by design changes and certain flight test “discoveries.” Of course, the delays have already forced Boeing to pay untold millions of dollars in compensation for late deliveries.
Asked for detailed comment on the reasons for the change in plans, a Boeing spokesman referred AIN to Cargolux. The airline, too, simply cited unresolved contractual “issues” in a statement issued on Saturday. However, it also noted that if the sides cannot reach a satisfactory settlement, the airline “will source alternative capacity to fully meet customer demand and expectations ahead of the traditional high season.”
Cargolux holds a firm order for 13 of the latest version of the Boeing jumbo jet, but can apparently refuse to honor the original contract due to Boeing’s failure to meet its delivery schedule guarantees.
The carrier has placed a hold on the financing of the two airplanes, secured through J.P. Morgan as an Ex-Im Bank guaranteed lender, pending resolution of the contractual “issues,” said Cargolux.
A 747-8 program spokesman told AIN that negotiations with Cargolux continue and that the company hopes to deliver the airplanes “soon.” He could not reveal the identity of the next customer in line to take deliveries of the Freighter, citing a need for permission from the respective airlines–something he said Boeing is now working to obtain.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Contract Dispute Forces Boeing To Scrap 747-8 First Delivery Ceremonies

“Unresolved contractual issues” have forced Boeing to delay or possibly cancel delivery of the first two <a href="news/single-news-page/article/boeing-747-

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