El Al has taken delivery of its first Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, with the aircraft touching down in Tel Aviv following a 6,746 mile flight from Boeing’s Everett factory at Paine Field airport.
The Israeli carrier has a total of 16 Dreamliners on order, which will replace El Al’s existing B747-400 and B767-300 fleet between now and 2020.
El Al has been an all-Boeing carrier since 1961, and currently operates a fleet of over 40 B737, B747, B767 and B777 aircraft.
The B787-9 will be rostered into flights to Europe from September, before being “gradually integrated into EL AL’s long-haul destinations in North America and the Far East” from the end of October.
Features of the Dreamliner will include a new business class seat from Recaro (converting into a two-metre long fully-flat bed), and a brand new premium economy cabin with 38 inches of legroom.
Economy will be configured 3-3-3, with a total of 222 seats offering 31 inches of legroom and five inches of recline (except for 15 seats which will have 30 inches of legroom).
IFE will be provided by Panasonic, and “high-speed internet” will be launched on B787 aircraft in 2018.
Commenting on the delivery EL Al’s CEO David Maimon said:
“The arrival of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a day of pride and joy to all of us at EL AL. It is the highlight in the ongoing renewal of the El Al fleet, which started a year and a half ago when we decided to order 16 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. We are happy to embark on a new journey with our first Dreamliner.”
“The arrival of the new airplanes will create a revolution in the customer experience. We have set a very high standard of service and product excellence in order to maintain our position as the first and preferred choice for passengers, travelling both to and from Israel.
“I am convinced that this significant procurement of 787s is a great opportunity for us to meet the highest levels expected. The Dreamliner will ensure our customers receive exceptional comfort, innovative technology, advanced aircraft and quality service.”
The carrier has created a dedicated section on its website here, with more information on El Al’s Dreamliner aircraft.
