Jenny Southan and Reggie Ho steps onboard Boeing’s Dreamliner to find out what’s in store for passengers
Could Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner be the most over-hyped aircraft ever? “A plane so revolutionary that it has tinted windows (wow) and LED lights (pinch me),” as one of the posters on our online forum (businesstraveller.com/discussion) says, with just a hint of sarcasm.
After more than three years of delay, the first delivery finally took place on September 26, to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA), and an inaugural charter flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong on October 26 was a big event (see Tried and Tested on page 56).
Tom Galantowicz, director of 787 interiors for Boeing, says: “It’s not about the windows, it’s not about the lighting or the shape of the bins, it’s about all of those things working together. You can’t truly appreciate it until you are in the space and feel it.”
Kent Craver, regional director of passenger satisfaction and revenue for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, agrees: “It’s really combining the lower cabin altitude with a higher relative humidity, our smooth ride technology that dampens turbulence, and our gaseous air filtration system, that will help passengers feel better after a flight. We have done a lot visually and aesthetically with things you can see, but some of the real benefits will come from things you can’t see.”
Commentators have been keen to quash excitement with reminders that the Dreamliner was delivered three years late. To a lesser extent, this was also the case with the high-capacity A380 superjumbo, which was delivered to Singapore Airlines about 18 months behind schedule in October 2007. But compared with the speedy execution of the B747, the delays the Dreamliner faced were unparalleled.
The 747, which was more than double the size of its predecessor, the B707, officially entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970 – a mere two months and six hours late (the last delay owing to overheating of the engines at the last moment). Even more impressive, it had been built in less than 28 months – three times quicker than the B787 – by a team of Boeing engineers nicknamed “the Incredibles”.
One of the key reasons for the tardiness of the Dreamliner, which also earned the sobriquet of “the Seven Late Seven”, was its groundbreaking use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). However, Boeing stresses the carbon composite material is not an everyday plastic. “Plastic is what you get on the dashboard of your car,” says Mike Sinnett, vice-president and chief project engineer of the B787 programme. Although CFRP has been employed in small quantities on aircraft such as the B737 and B777 for years, what makes the B787 unique is that it has been used to build an entire single-piece fuselage, instead of one made up of hundreds of sheets of aluminium.
As with any new implementation of technology, unforeseen problems arise and these have a knock-on effect on production. Sinnett says: “With 1,000 airplanes out there [using carbon composites], we have a lot of experience with this material. What was new to us was how we applied it and how we constructed it.” Other factors that contributed to the missed deadlines ranged from issues with the wing design to electrical fires. In fact, the media became so obsessed with it that even publications such as US satirical website The Onion made it the butt of jokes, with one headline reading: “Boeing lays off only guy who knows how to keep wings on plane.”
In Boeing’s defence, Scott Fancher, vice-president and general manager of the B787 programme, says: “The last new plane we designed was the B777 16 years ago, so the B787 is a huge step forward. From the standpoint of commercial aviation, this is as big a leap forward as the B707 to the B747, and the introduction of the Jet Age. But that’s why we think these investments will pay off for us.”
The exterior of the plane is marked by raked albatross-like wing tips and distinct saw-tooth-shape nacelles that cover the engines (see photo, page 57). The interior will partly be down to the individual airline, which will be given a selection of seats, colour schemes, in-flight entertainment, galley fittings and even washrooms to choose from by Boeing. But in terms of the overall aesthetic of the cabin, it is the aircraft manufacturer that has had the final say.
Stepping on board, one of the most apparent differences are the much talked-about windows, which, thanks to the new carbon composite architecture that allows for a larger cut-out, are 30 per cent bigger than on the B777. From your seat, you can look out more easily as the windows meet your eye line better, and add to a feeling of space.
What’s more, instead of conventional sliding blinds, each pane of glass is “electrochromatic”, which allows it to darken gradually (in about 90 seconds) to near black at the touch of a button.
For some, the idea of being able to see out of a window while working on a laptop and without the glare of the sun will be appealing. But there is more to it than that. Craver explains: “Windows can be controlled individually or en masse by flight attendants. If it’s an overnight flight but it’s light outside, the attendants can dim all of the windows – leaning over food trays or people sleeping to close them will be a thing of the past. Attendants can even set a range allowing some individual control, but without completely filling the cabin with light. Even when the windows are fully darkened you can still see outside – it is like being in a limousine with tinted windows.”
Other design features you are likely to spot are the vaulted ceilings, glowing LED mood lighting and slick overhead bins, which fit four regulation-size (10in x 12in x 24in/25cm x 30cm x 61cm) pieces of hand baggage in each. But as Galantowicz notes, there are also “unarticulated” needs that Boeing has met, which may not be so obvious. “Some of the features create reductions in symptoms that you might not notice – for example, how do you comment on the headache you didn’t get? It’s one of those phenomena where the features play together to create something that is better – you’ll feel good but will not necessarily know why,” he says.
So what exactly has Boeing done to achieve this? The first thing was the installation of a “gaseous filtration system”, which improves air quality by removing bacteria, viruses, fungi, odours and contaminants, and helps to reduce dizziness, eye irritation and dryness. This has been combined with a lower cabin altitude of 6,000ft (2,000ft lower than normal planes) that improves humidity and allows the body to absorb 8 per cent more oxygen. This feature is unique to the B787, as an aluminium aircraft would suffer structural fatigue if pressurised any higher.
Boeing put considerable effort into researching the effects of lower altitudes on human physiognomy to come up with reliable statistics. Craver explains: “There is great data for altitudes of between 15,000ft and 30,000ft for mountain climbers, and for altitudes above 50,000ft for ejection out of military aircraft, but no good research into the effects of altitude on the human body under 10,000ft. So we teamed up with Oklahoma State University and cycled more than 500 people though a pressure chamber, 12 at a time, for simulated flights up to 20 hours in length.”
Most air passengers will experience cabin altitudes of about 8,000ft, twice the elevation of Ben Nevis – which is significant because it is from this height that climbers start to report mild symptoms of altitude sickness such as headaches, muscle aches, fatigue and nausea. Craver says: “What we found, focusing on moderate to severe headaches, was that at sea level to 6,000ft, statistically there was no difference in our volunteers reporting symptoms. But above 6,000ft we got a pretty big spike. So it was clear that if we could get to an internal altitude of 6,000ft, we could help to alleviate or mitigate symptoms caused by altitude.”
The manufacturer has worked on improving the smoothness of the flight by introducing a system that “senses turbulence and commands wing control surfaces to counter it”. Boeing also claims to have created a quieter cabin by incorporating more discreet air conditioning, “advanced vibration insulation and material to reduce squeaks”, and better fan designs in the engines to reduce noise. (Rolls-Royce, which designed the Trent 1,000 engines, says they are its quietest yet.)
Fancher says: “We wanted to develop a set of technologies that would serve as the backbone of the planes we design for the next 30 years. We have invested in understanding the latest advances in environmental sensitivity, propulsion, materials sciences, systems integration aerodynamics, and created a wealth of knowledge of these technologies and what their capabilities are.” Sinnett adds: “The design of this aircraft has been like no other – it represents the beginning of a new focus on the passenger experience.”
ANA launched regular domestic services with the B787 from Tokyo Haneda to Okayama and Hiroshima on November 1, but it will be on long-haul, point-to-point routes that the Dreamliner will prove its worth. Satoru Fujiki, the airline’s senior vice-president, says: “The B787 is considered a medium-sized aircraft but it can travel more than 52 per cent further than a similarly sized B767, while using 20 per cent less fuel. It presents an opportunity for us to open new routes that would not previously have been viable, and gives us the chance to expand our network.”
The Japanese carrier, which is due to take delivery of 20 Dreamliners by spring 2013, is launching internationally between Tokyo Haneda and Beijing this month, followed by a thrice-weekly Tokyo-Frankfurt service on January 21 (increasing to daily from February). On the inaugural flight, ANA president and chief executive Ito Shinichiro told reporters that London was a destination being considered for the Dreamliner, but even if it went ahead, it would be unlikely to happen before the 2012 Olympics.
ANA’s long-haul B787 will be in a two-class layout with 46 fully-flat business class seats in a staggered 1-2-1/1-1-1 configuration, and 112 economy seats in a 2-4-2 arrangement. (Boeing points out that the Dreamliner is not suitable for ten-abreast seating.)
With additional reporting by Reggie Ho
Tried and Tested: All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Economy
BACKGROUND After more than three years’ delay, the first commercial flight for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operated by launch customer All Nippon Airways (ANA) and numbered NH7871, took to the sky on October 26. It was a charter flight and Hong Kong International Airport was chosen as the first facility to welcome the maiden landing.
The Dreamliner started serving domestic routes in Japan in November, with international routes beginning in December with Tokyo-Beijing, followed by Tokyo-Frankfurt route from January 21, 2012.
CHECK-IN ANA staff directed me to counter area C at Terminal 1 of Narita International Airport for check-in. Because this was the inaugural flight, the procedure finished unusually early at 0730 for the 1220 departure. I was allocated aisle seat 14C by one of the wings, and in the usual Japanese fashion the process was well organised and swift, as was security and immigration.
BOARDING After speeches and the traditional kagami-wari (sake barrel-breaking ceremony), boarding began as scheduled at 1140. We had to be taken by bus to the apron, possibly owing to an incident a few days previously in which an airbridge scratched the new plane. But it may also have been an attempt to give passengers a better view of the aircraft’s exterior, which is noticeably more contoured than other jetliners. On board, the crew were stationed throughout the cabin to answer questions.
The first thing that caught my attention was the plane’s high ceiling and large storage spaces. My overhead compartment could fit a wheeled cabin trolley, a holdall and my oversized backpack with plenty of room to spare. Not everything was ready, though – the bar, which was located between rows five and six and was supposed to display drinks, was empty. I noticed that the windows were larger than average but didn’t quite get the open view I had hoped for. I had previously been given the impression that even passengers not seated by the windows would have a good view of the outside, but I found the difference to be negligible.
THE SEAT ANA’s short-haul B787 is configured with two classes, with business class taking up two rows in a 2-2-2 layout, and economy in a 2-4-2 arrangement across three cabins, totalling 32 rows (see seat plan). The business seat features a hard-shell back and offers 57 inches (145cm) of legroom. The economy seat is also in a hard shell and upholstered in fabric in the airline’s signature blue shade, with the head-rest cover showing ANA’s omnipresent “We fly first” slogan. I found the seat uncomfortable – while it is just as wide as most economy seats (18.5 inches/47cm), there was not much legroom and it slid forward instead of reclining, which, with the restricted pitch (31-32 inches/79cm-81cm) and my six-foot frame, meant my knees hit the back of the seat in front of me. Fortunately, the word I have heard is that the long-haul economy seat will have a 34-inch seat pitch.
Each seat had a nine-inch LCD touchscreen monitor for the audio-video on-demand (AVOD) in-flight entertainment (IFE), which showed 14 Hollywood films, eight Japanese titles and seven world movies. A lot of the TV programmes were in Japanese. The interactive maps were fun and educational, providing information on a selection of cities as well as the usual features. The IFE also included games such as black jack, and multiple passengers could play them together.
I tried the seat-to-seat messaging function but some of the passengers I attempted to contact didn’t notice, as the envelope icon was too subtle. There are two universal sockets fitted in the shared armrest, but I couldn’t use mine at the same time as the person next to me as we both had chunky plugs. Each seat also has a USB port, and I was told that eventually passengers would be able to stream content from their iPods/iPhones to the IFE, but the function was not ready yet, so I used it as a battery charging point. The fold-down tray table could hold a laptop of any size with room to spare.
WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE? On this short-haul version of the aircraft, I would choose rows three or six, at the front of their respective sections, as they have more leg space. Row 23 next to the emergency exits also offers more legroom, but it is close to the washrooms.
THE FLIGHT Two things we were told to expect were a less arid environment and no blocked ears caused by changing air pressure. The B787’s cabin air is vented directly from the outside through dedicated inlets instead of passing through the engines, and the crew can also adjust the humidity according to the number of passengers.
The cabin is compressed to resemble an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level, instead of 8,000 feet, so we were breathing in more oxygen. The electrochromatic glass windows, which darkened at the touch of a button, were glare-free and gentle on the eyes. I am sure these factors would have made a big difference on a long-haul flight, but for a journey of this duration (four and a half hours), I didn’t notice them too much. Still, the cabin was noticeably quieter than on conventional aircraft, which made conversation easier.
The crew demonstrated the LED lighting a couple of times by changing the colour, though, again, for a short-haul flight this feature is not that important. (On long-haul flights, lighting is programmed to help passengers adjust their sleep pattern to the time zone of their destination.)
As it was the inaugural flight, the service was not routine. I received my meal two hours after take-off. The appetiser comprised smoked salmon, a prawn salad and a slice of salami, which was not too bad for economy, while my main was seafood gratin, which was delicious, although the pasta in it was soggy. There was also a Japanese option of pork ragoût in soy sauce.
A good selection of drinks was available, including whisky, beer, wine, juices and ANA’s “aromatic kabosu”, a refreshing citrus beverage. The cabin crew remained gracious and patient despite being interrupted by all the activity from journalists and industry people walking around the aircraft through out the flight.
ARRIVAL We were told that the Dreamliner was equipped with a “gust suppression” system that would mitigate turbulence, but the plane still shook a little when approaching the runway. Touchdown was on schedule at 1550 local time, exactly four and a half hours after departure. Owing to a welcome ceremony, we had to disembark on the tarmac and then take a bus to the terminal. As a Hong Kong citizen, I was able to make use of the self-service immigration checkpoint so was through to baggage reclaim quickly.
Verdict
Other than the painful seat design, the flight was enjoyable. Hopefully I will get to fly long-haul next time to fully appreciate the innovations.
PLANE TYPE B787-8
SEAT CONFIGURATION 2-4-2
SEAT PITCH 31in-32in (79cm-81cm)
SEAT WIDTH 18.5in (47cm)
PRICE For now, this aircraft serves domestic routes. Internet rates for a return economy ticket between Tokyo Haneda and Okayama start from ¥28,640 (US$372) in January.
CONTACT www.ana.co.jp
Reggie Ho
