News

B787-9 completes first international flight

6 Jan 2014 by GrahamSmith

Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner has completed its first international flight, from Seattle to Auckland.

Aircraft ZB002 took off from Seattle's Boeing Field on Friday at 0955 local time and landed at Auckland International Airport 13 hours and 49 minutes later.

The plane —  the second of three B787-9s taking part in Boeing's flight test programme — is now scheduled to continue on to Alice Springs, Australia, for testing in hot weather.

Boeing is scheduled to deliver the B787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand midway through this year.

Some 26 airlines have ordered a total of 402 B787-9s, accounting for 39 per cent of all B787 orders.

Measuring six metres longer than the B787-8, the new aircraft increases capacity and range of the Dreamliner, carrying 40 more passengers over an additional 300 nautical miles (555 km).

The B787-9 took to the skies for its first test flight in September (see news, September 2013).

boeing.com

Graham Smith

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