Boeing’s extended Dreamliner takes flight
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The extended version of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft took to the skies for the first time this week.
The B787-9, which is six metres longer than the standard Dreamliner and can carry approximately 40 more passengers an extra 555km, made its inaugural flight on Tuesday, in the skies above Seattle.
The flight took off from Everett, Washington state, at just after 11am on Tuesday 17 September 2013, and lasted five hours 16 minutes before landing at Boeing Field in Seattle. It reached an altitude of 20,400 feet (6,218 metres) and an airspeed of 250 knots (463 kph).
“Today’s first flight marks a significant milestone for our team, including our partners,” said Boeing’s commercial president & CEO, Ray Conner. “We are tremendously proud to have our customers fly the 787-9 and look forward to delivery of the first airplane to Air New Zealand next year.”
To-date, Boeing has taken orders for 388 B787-9s, representing 41% of total Dreamliner purchases. Air New Zealand, which has ordered 10 B787-9s, will be the model’s launch customer, welcoming its first aircraft mid-2014. The largest B787-9’s largest airline customer however, is Etihad Airways, with outstanding orders for 41 aircraft, followed by ANA (30 aircraft), American Airlines (30), Air France-KLM (25) and United Airlines (24).
The aircraft will feature the same design features as the standard Dreamliner, including large, dimmable windows, large overhead storage bins, LED lighting and higher cabin humidity.
The B787-9 is the second of three Dreamliner versions. The B787-8 was introduced in October 2011 and is now operated by 13 carriers around the world, while the longest version, the B787-10 is expected to launch in 2018 or 2019 with Singapore Airlines.
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