Virgin Atlantic (Virgin) is celebrating the delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner after becoming the first European airline to receive the fuel-efficient aircraft.
After flying more than 7,400km from Boeing’s base at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, Virgin’s new Dreamliner finally touched down at London’s Gatwick Airport. It will remain there for the time being as Virgin will use it to train its cabin crew and pilots. Upon completion of the crew familiarisation phase, the B787-9 will be ferried to Heathrow to commence revenue service.
Carrying the name “Birthday Girl” in reference to the UK carrier’s 30th anniversary, the B787-9 is the first of 16 Dreamliners Virgin has on order.
The Virgin Boeing 787-9 will first start revenue service to Boston on October 28, before being deployed to Delhi in November.
Business Traveller will give you a first look when we fly the Dreamliner on a special press tour to Atlanta next week.
Virgin Atlantic's B787-9 aircraft will have a three-class configuration with 31 seats in Upper Class, 35 in premium economy and 198 in economy.
"The first 787-9 in Europe will be a flagship for Virgin Atlantic's fleet, providing greatly improved efficiencies across its routes," said Todd Nelp, vice president of European sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The airplane, with its unique onboard features, will provide an unrivaled passenger experience, cementing Virgin Atlantic's reputation as a true innovator in air travel."
For more information, visit virgin-atlantic.com and boeing.com
Clement Huang