New York/Seattle  - The US aircraft giant Boeing Thursday said it had received its first cancellation - from Azerbaijan Airlines - in the wake of delays in production for its long-awaited long-distance 787 Dreamliner.

The airlines cancelled one of the three Dreamliners it had on order and is substituting it with a Boeing 767, the company said from its Seattle base.

The other two Dreamliner orders from Azerbaijan airlines will remain on the books.

Boeing's production schedule for its prestigious long-range, fuel- efficient Dreamliner has been delayed three times, with delivery now expected in the third quarter of 2009.

Delays for Chicago-based Boeing could come close to those experienced by European rival Airbus, which saw delays of 18 months for its A380 super-jumbo. (dpa)