Korean Air has announced it will postpone the delivery of ten 787 Dreamliner aircraft it has on order with Boeing.

The decision follows three years of delays in the development of the aircraft, with an electrical fire onboard a test aircraft prompting a further setback late last year.

Korean Air will now take delivery of the aircraft from 2016, five years later than previously scheduled.

Boeing has said the first delivery of the 787 is now scheduled for the third quarter of this year, with ANA first in line for the new planes.

The revised timeline came after Korean Air held talks with the US aircraft company on the delivery schedule for the long-awaited Dreamliner.

British Airways is also due to be among the first in Europe to fly the aircraft.

Airbus

In the interim Korea Air will use a series of Airbus A330s, added to its fleet since last year, as replacements for the missing 787s until 2016.

The Dreamliner aircraft has a carbon-composite body which has allowed design changes that will enhance the experience of flying while consuming about 25 per cent less fuel.

It will also be able to take off and land at smaller airports than current long-haul aircraft and fly direct on routes that now require refuelling stops.