United Airlines expects its first Dreamliner this year - NewsOK.com

CHICAGO — United Airlines reportedly expects to take delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane in September.

United, which will be the first North American airline to receive the long-awaited and highly anticipated plane, has long said it expects to take delivery in the second half of 2012. A spokeswoman on Friday repeated that statement.

However, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper blog on Friday cited internal communications at United specifying September as the anticipated delivery month. United and Boeing are both headquartered in Chicago.

The Dreamliner, the first of which was delivered last fall to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways, is a twin-aisle plane that offers the best fuel economy and range for a craft its size and offers passengers greater comfort while flying. The plane is also well known for incurring lengthy production delays. Boeing delivered its first 787 about three years late because of design and construction problems.

United, the most dominant airline at Chicago O’Hare and in the region, has said in the past that it would “likely” use a 787 on routes through Chicago, possibly as soon as the fourth quarter of this year. However, it hasn’t announced a flight schedule for the aircraft.

LOT Polish Airlines was the first airline to officially announce that it will offer a Chicago O’Hare flight aboard a 787. LOT will begin service in January 2013 between Chicago and Warsaw, Poland.

Distributed by MCT Information Services

View the original article here

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to Visit New Zealand

Air New Zealand will host the Boeing 787-8 test aircraft at its engineering base at Auckland International Airport for two days.

Exact timings of the 787's arrival on Saturday 12 November non-stop from Seattle are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks, but will be timed to give Aucklanders the best chance of seeing the aircraft as it flies into Auckland.

"We're looking forward to seeing the 787 in our skies for the first time. This is an aircraft which has the exciting environmental advantage of using up to 20% less fuel while also being able to carry up to 50% more cargo than other jet aircraft of comparative size," said Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe.

Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the larger 787-9 variant, which will have a greater range capability and seating capacity than the 787-8 of which ANA is the launch customer.

"Once the 787-9 goes into service sometime in 2014 it will change how New Zealanders fly and how we bring the world to New Zealand. Its composite structure enables better cabin humidity and lower relative cabin altitude for a more comfortable flying experience," Mr Fyfe added.

The aircraft on display in Auckland will be one of the first test aircraft produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes and as such is fitted with test equipment.

Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager for the 787 program at Boeing Commercial Airplanes said, "We are thrilled to be able to bring this test plane down here for Air New Zealand. While the interior is filled with test equipment and therefore far from showroom standard, the exterior is not only aerodynamically efficient but extremely beautiful and people will be able to see just how different it looks."

See other recent news regarding: Airlines, Airports, Awards, Flights, Codeshare, FFP, Inflight, Lounges, First Class, Business Class, MICE, GDS, Rewards, Miles, Hotels, Apartments, Promotions, Spas, Yoga, Retreat, New Hotels, Traffic, Visitor Arrivals, Cruises, Free Deals, Interviews, Videos, Air New Zealand, New Zealand, Boeing, 787, Dreamliner, Auckland

View the original article here

ANA Launches Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japan?s All Nippon Airways made aviation history on Tuesday by operating the first ever passenger flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The specially chartered flight took off from Narita Airport, Tokyo, with more than 240 passengers of board just after midday and landed four and an half hours later in Hong Kong.

Built mainly from carbon fiber composite material, the Dreamliner?s innovations include:

- Passenger-friendly cabin air pressure - Passenger comfort will be improved by maintaining air pressure inside the cabin at the equivalent of an altitude of 6,000 feet (1,800m), noticeably lower than the 8,000 feet (2,400m) maintained on conventional aircraft. The plane?s composite materials also allow for humidity to be maintained at a more comfortable level for passengers.

- Auto-dimming windows - The 787?s windows are 30% larger than those on the Boeing 767. A higher eye level means passengers can maintain a view of the horizon throughout the flight while smart glass ?auto-dimming? windows use electro-chromatic technology to reduce cabin glare at a touch of a button while allowing passengers to still see outside.

- Largest overhead compartments yet - approximately 30% larger than those on the Boeing 777, the overhead compartments have enough space to hold four large-size carry-on bags.

The 787 Dreamliner has strong links with Japan, with Japanese manufacturers providing approximately 35% of all the aircraft parts, including key sections of the wings and fuselage.

ANA has ordered 55 Dreamliners from Boeing and has already received two planes, with a total of 20 expected to be delivered by the end of FY2012. The Dreamliners are expected to eventually help ANA save ?10 billion a year (US$130m) through fuel savings.

Scheduled services featuring the Dreamliner will begin on 1 November to domestic Japanese destinations and international services on ANA will commence in the following two months with flights initially to Beijing and Frankfurt.

Two domestic excursion flights, departing and landing at Narita and lasting approximately an hour, are also planned following the flight to Hong Kong to allow more ANA customers to experience the increased level of comfort resulting from the plane?s innovative features.

See other recent news regarding: Airlines, Airports, Awards, Flights, Codeshare, FFP, Inflight, Lounges, First Class, Business Class, MICE, GDS, Rewards, Miles, Hotels, Apartments, Promotions, Spas, Yoga, Retreat, New Hotels, Traffic, Visitor Arrivals, Cruises, Free Deals, Interviews, Videos, ANA, Boeing, 787, Dreamliner, Japan, Hong Kong

View the original article here