Second Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ZB002 completes successful first flight

By BA Staff

The second Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner completed a successful 4-hour, 18-minute first flight. 

The airplane, known as ZB002, departed Paine Field in Everett, Washington State, USA, at 8:06 and landed at 12:24 local time at Seattle's Boeing Field.

As the only 787-9 test airplane to be fitted with elements of the passenger interior, ZB002 will test systems such as the environmental control system in addition to avionics and other aspects of airplane performance. Boeing has conducted a series of ground tests on the second 787-9 since its completion in late September.

With manufacturing of the 787-9 flight-test fleet complete, the first production 787-9 in final assembly and 137 flight-test hours to date, 787-9 development is on track. 787-10 development also is progressing as planned.

First delivery of the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand is set for mid-2014. Twenty-six customers have ordered 396 787-9s, accounting for 40 percent of all 787 orders.

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Boeing firms up orders for 43 787s from ALC and GECAS

 By BA Staff

Boeing and Air Lease Corporation (ALC) announced today that they have completed an order for 30 787-10 and three 787-9 Dreamliners. The order, valued at $9.4 billion at list prices, fulfills the commitment originally announced during the 2013 Paris Air Show in June.

ALC Chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy had this to say about the partnership:

"We are thrilled to be adding 787-10s and additional 787-9s to our portfolio. The performance characteristics of the 787-10 will build on the 787 family's success in the marketplace by providing the ideal size, capabilities and economical operating costs for medium to long-haul markets."

Furthermore, Boeing and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, announced today that they have completed an order for 10 787-10 Dreamliners. The order, valued at $2.9 billion at list prices, completes the commitment originally announced during the 2013 Paris Air Show in June and builds momentum in the airplane leasing market for the 787-10.

GECAS President and CEO Norman C.T. Liu said:

"These airplanes are an excellent addition to our broad portfolio of modern, fuel-efficient aircraft. This order enables us to offer our airline customers an airplane with the lowest operating costs."

The new 787-10, launched in June 2013, will extend and complement the family, carrying 300 to 330 passengers up to 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km) and accommodating more than 90 percent of the world's twin-aisle routes. The 787-10 also will be 25 percent more fuel-efficient than airplanes of its size today and more than 10 percent better than anything being offered by the competition for the future.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner described his point of view on the matter:

"As a leader in the leasing industry, GECAS's 787-10 order is a strong statement about the capabilities of this highly efficient airplane. The 787-10 will provide GECAS customers the efficiencies and passenger comforts needed to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace."

The 787-10 will feature the 787 family's unique interior. The interior technologies make the passenger experience more enjoyable, including large, dimmable windows; cleaner air; higher humidity; lower cabin altitude; bigger stowage bins; soothing LED lighting and a smoother ride. To date, the 787-10 has accumulated 102 orders and commitments from five customers worldwide.

These 787-10s bring the total number of airplanes GECAS has ordered from Boeing to 598 since 1995, including 737s, 747s, 757s, 767s, 777s and 787s. To date, GECAS has taken delivery of 451 Boeing airplanes.

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Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner successfully completes first flight

by Devesh Agarwal

The second member of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family, the 787-9 successfully completed its first flight, beginning a comprehensive flight-test program leading to certification and delivery in mid-2014. The aircraft performed a 5-hour, 16-minute flight, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington state, at 11:02 a.m. local time and landing at 4:18 p.m. at Seattle's Boeing Field.

Boeing 787-9, line number ZB001 registration N787EX, takes off for its first flight

The 787-9 has its fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters) over the 787-8 which is flying with many airlines including Air India. The 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometres).

787-9 Senior Project Pilot Mike Bryan and 787 Chief Pilot Randy Neville departed to the north. During the flight the reached an altitude of 20,400 feet (6,218 meters) and an airspeed of 250 knots, or about 288 miles (463 kilometers) per hour, customary for a first flight. The two Captains tested the aircraft's systems and structures, while on-board equipment transmitted real-time data to a flight-test team on the ground in Seattle.

Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, the first 787-9 will be joined in flight test by two additional airplanes, one of which will feature General Electric GEnx engines. The additional airplanes are in the final stages of assembly in Boeing's Everett factory.

Boeing says it is on track to deliver the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand in mid-2014. Twenty-five customers from around the world have ordered 388 787-9s, accounting for 40 percent of all 787 orders. National carrier Air India has ordered 27 787-8s only, and no 787-9. Jet Airways has 10 787-8s on order with no purchase options (though it can shift these orders to other Boeing products).

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Aircraft News: A380 deliveries to Korean Air and Emirates, 787-9 completes engine test

by BA.com staff

We have a three pieces of aircraft related news for you this Friday morning.

7th A380 delivered to Korean Air

Image Credit: Airbus

Seoul-based Korean Air took delivery of its 7th Airbus A380 earlier this week, with Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 126. The aircraft is registered as HL7621 and left Tolouse on 28th August. Korean Air's A380 are noted for having one of the lowest-density and most premium configurations in the sky with just 407 seats in a 3-class configuration (12F / 94J / 301Y).

36th A380 delivered to Emirates

Dubai-based Emirates has taken delivery of its 36th Airbus A380 yesterday, with a MSN of 132. The aircraft has been registered as A6 - EEK. Interestingly, Emirates fleet of Airbus A380s has now surpassed Lufthansa's fleet of Boeing 747s as the world's second largest fleet of double-deck passenger aircraft. Lufthansa now operates 31 Boeing 747s (split as 22x 747-400 and 9x 747-8i), but both carriers still trail behind British Airways' fleet of 55 Boeing 747-400s.

Image Credit: Airbus

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Completes First Engine Test

According to Boeing Commercial Airplanes' official Twitter account (@BoeingAirplanes), Boeing and Rolls Royce successfully performed the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner's first engine test yesterday. The 787-9 Dreamliner will be powered by two Trent 1000 engines each delivering more than 320 kilo-Netwons (kN) of thrust.

Image Credit: Boeing (@BoeingAirplanes)

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PHOTOS: Boeing rolls out the first 787-9 Dreamliner

Image Credit: Boeing

Boeing has completed the first 787-9 Dreamliner and rolled it out of the factory today to the flight line in preparation of the first flight. Find more details below.

24th August 2013

EVERETT, Wash., Aug. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has completed the first 787-9 Dreamliner. The second member of the super-efficient 787 family rolled out of the Everett, Wash., factory today to the flight line, where teams are preparing it to fly later this summer.

At 20 feet (6 m) longer than the 787-8, the 787-9 will extend the 787 family in both capacity and range, carrying 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 km). The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8 such as its exceptional environmental performance — 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than similarly sized airplanes — and passenger-pleasing features.

With the second and third airplanes in final assembly, Boeing and the 787-9 are on track. First delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand is set for mid-2014.

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Video: Emirates' Tim Clark talks about the A350, 787, and 777X

Dubai-based Emirates airline is a behemoth in the world of wide-body aircraft. The airline's president, Tim Clark, is considered a world authority on wide-body aircraft and is always pushing the envelope, demanding increasingly better performance from the two wide-body airframers, Boeing and Airbus SAS.

Watch below, a very informative 16 minute video of Clark talking with Bloomberg's Christopher Jasper, on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show 2013, about Airbus' A350, Boeing's 787-10 and 777X models, and industry demand for wide-body aircraft. (Source: Bloomberg)

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