All Nippon Airways (ANA) is set to receive its first B787-9, the latest stretched version of the Dreamliner, and become the first airline to take the new aircraft model to the skies. Although Air New Zealand became the first carrier to take delivery of the new Dreamliner earlier this month, it will not put the aircraft into service until October (see story).
ANA was also the launch carrier of B787-8 back in 2011. For our review of the inaugural flight, click here.
Deliveries of the 787-9 are set to start at Boeing’s Everett site in Washington on July 27 (Sun), with the first aircraft expected to land in Tokyo on July 29. This new Dreamliner model is said to be 23 per cent more fuel efficient than the Boeing 767-300ER, a further improvement over the 20 per cent mark set by B787-8. In domestic configuration, it will have 395 seats, 60 more than its predecessor.
Before deploying the new aircraft on commercial services, ANA plans to operate a commemorative flight with the Dreamliner on August 4, flying a group of Japanese and American elementary school children living in Japan over Mount Fuji.
Picture captions: ANA B787-9 Dreamliner exterior (top), domestic configuration (above), business class seats (lower left) and economy class seats (lower right)
Other than an extended fuselage, the 787-9 has largely the same features as its -8 sister, such as an advanced air filtration system that allows higher cabin humidity, less fluctuated pressure changes, and larger windows with electronic dimming function and enlarged luggage storages.
ANA will start using the B787-9 on domestic routes next month, with plans to deploy it to international destinations starting in April next year. The airline has ordered 36 787-8s (28 already delivered) and 44 787-9s.
Visit ana.co.jp
Reggie Ho
