Browsing Tag: 787-9

United’s 787-9 parked at the gate as a 787-8 taxis in next door

United’s 787-9 parked at the gate as a 787-8 taxis in next door

This story was originally published on Airways News by Seth Miller.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner entered service with United Airlines Monday, making the Chicago-based carrier the third airline in the world to offer service on the type. The first flight operated from Houston to Los Angeles, a route the carrier has used for 787 training and proving runs since taking delivery of its first 787-8 two years ago. After a short period of domestic flights, the aircraft will enter international service this fall. The first route the 787-9 will serve is Los Angeles ’“ Melbourne, which will be the longest 787 route in the world when it launches in late October. Airways News was a guest of United’s on the inaugural flight.

The forward BusinessFirst cabin of the 787-9

The forward BusinessFirst cabin of the 787-9

For most passengers (and the airline) this was business as usual; just another flight from Houston to Los Angeles. There was no special reception at either end, no balloons and nary a cupcake to be seen. Yet there was still a bit of excitement in the air. For some passengers it was just about flying on a Dreamliner. For others being on the inaugural was a specific goal. Neil Gamrod was up at 4am Eastern to make his way down to Houston for the inaugural flight.

Like others he studied the airline schedules and adjusted his plans a few times, just to make it on board. And by the time we wrapped up the day with a celebratory dinner at the In-n-Out adjacent to LAX he was absolutely convinced it was a worthwhile trip, even if he was exhausted. Like many other 787 passengers Gamrod noted the more comfortable cabin comfort and the quieter ride as just a couple of the advantages the Dreamliner brings to the skies.

Continue reading Taking the Inaugural United Airlines Boeing 787-9 Flight on Airways News

Etihad's Airbus A380 with new livery showing on the tail - Photo: Clment Alloing / Flickr CC

Etihad’s Airbus A380 with new livery showing on the tail – Photo: Clment Alloing / Flickr CC

It appears that Etihad Airways might be working on a new livery — but they are keeping pretty quiet about their future plans.

We have seen the new tail design on an Airbus A380 and also a Boeing 787-9, but there haven’t been any hints if this will be a fleet-wide livery update or just a special livery for their new aircraft. There also isn’t anything out there about what the fuselage might look like. We reached out to Etihad for details, but they are keeping them secret — for now.

Close up on the new tail design on the A380 - Photo: Clment Alloing / Flickr CC

Close up on the new tail design on the A380 – Photo: Clment Alloing / Flickr CC

The first 787-9 for All Nippon Airways seen at Boeing Field while conducting tests for Boeing - Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter.com

The first Boeing 787-9 for All Nippon Airways (ANA), seen at Boeing Field while conducting tests for Boeing                                 Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter

Several weeks ago, Air New Zealand became the first airline to take delivery of the new Boeing 787-9 — the stretched Dreamliner.  With much pomp & circumstance, they took ownership of their “All Blacks” livery aircraft and flew it away back to New Zealand.

Then, just before the end of July, the second 787-9 was delivered to All Nippon Airways (ANA) (JA830A), and it quietly slipped away into the night off to Japan. At the time, it was unknown who might commence 787-9 flights first.

Photo and press release from Boeing: EVERETT, Wash., July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE:BA) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) today celebrated the delivery of the airline's first 787-9 Dreamliner. ANA will become the world's first airline to operate both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants of the Dreamliner family when the airline launches 787-9 services on domestic Japanese routes in August. "The 787 Dreamliner is a key element in our growth strategy and we are proud to be the first airline to fly both models of the 787 family," said Osamu Shinobe, ANA president and CEO. "The new 787-9 will build on the exceptional efficiency of the 787-8 and will allow us to meet growing demand that is anticipated ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Our customers have expressed their pleasure with the comfort of the 787's innovative cabin features and we are excited to introduce the new 787 variant into our fleet." With this delivery, ANA will have 29 787s in its fleet, more than any other operator in the world. "This milestone delivery adds yet another chapter in our long and successful relationship with ANA," said John Wojick, senior vice president of Global Sales and Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "ANA continues to demonstrate the market-leading efficiency and comfort of the 787 family." The 787-9 complements and extends the 787 family. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters) over the 787-8, the 787-9 will fly up to 40 more passengers an additional 450 nautical miles (830 kilometers) with the same exceptional environmental performance ’“ 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than similarly sized airplanes. The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering passenger-pleasing features such as large windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride. ANA has 29 more 787-9s on order with commitments for 14 more. Sixty customers from around the world have ordered more than 1,000 787s, with more than 160 currently in operation.

ANA’s first 787-9 departing Everett on delivery to Japan – Photo: Boeing

Air New Zealand, being the first to take delivery, did not plan to start their 787 on a new route until October when they would begin service from Auckland to Perth.  The Kiwis had decided to operate flights back and forth between New Zealand & Australia to get their crew used to the aircraft (as this is their first 787) and although they were operating flights with crew onboard, there were a few with just friends and family.  Despite that, it was ANA who would challenge the spot as first to operate the newest 787 model.

ANA was the first airline to take delivery of the 787-8, and they originally put it to work on domestic flights within Japan.  The airline is also now the largest operator of the 787, with a total of 30 in service; 29 of those are the smaller 787-8, which is split between a long-haul configuration and a higher density domestic configuration.

The newest arrival to the fleet is set up in a domestic configuration as well, with a whopping 395 seats onboard.  Meant to replace high-capacity 767s in Japan, the new aircraft will run back and forth between the Tokyo Haneda hub and other major Japanese cities like Osaka and Fukuoka.  But could ANA get a 787-9 into service before Air New Zealand?  You bet!

ZK-NZE, Air New Zealand's first 787 at the Everett Delivery Center. Photo - Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter

ZK-NZE, Air New Zealand’s first 787 at the Everett Delivery Center. It took 92.5 gallons of paint to create this special livery. Photo – Bernie Leighton | AirlineReporter

This morning I was able to take part in a Boeing media event involving a much heralded aircraft: Air New Zealand’s first 787-9. We’ve discussed what the cabin will look like before on the site, but it’s a lot different to see- and feel- it in person.

The tour commenced by taking a look around the airframe outside, but with the caveat that we had to stay within the gate lines of the delivery stall. This meant that I had to get creative with my angles. We could, however, also make use of the balcony of the Everett Delivery Center, which provided some great views.

Windscreen-level with a 787-9. Photo - Bernie Leighton |AirlineReporter

Windscreen-level with a 787-9. Photo – Bernie Leighton |AirlineReporter

The outside of this plane is amazing, but I was mostly there to check out what was on in the inside. After getting external shots, it was time to head onboard Air New Zealand’s brand new aircraft. A special moment for me as I’ve never even set foot inside a 787 Dreamliner of any flavor before.

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 and Lufthansa Boeing 747-400.

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 and Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 – Photo: David Parker Brown

2013 is now well in our rear view mirrors as we speed along the runway of another year and it is time to look back.  We have covered what we did during 2013 on AirlineReporter but what about looking at what our two favorite aircraft manufacturers did?  2013 were big years for both Boeing & Airbus on many levels, so let’s take a look at more detail of exactly what happened in the order & delivery world:

Orders:

In 2013, the big air shows in Paris & Dubai flooded the order books of both manufacturers.  Airbus and Boeing both had record-breaking years with 1,619 & 1,531 gross orders, respectively.  The winner in this situation is obviously Airbus by a good margin; the types of orders look consistent too: