Boeing and All Nippon Airways have celebrated the long-awaited delivery of the world's first 787 Dreamliner airplane to the Japanese airline.
More than three years behind schedule due to production and design problems, Boeing touts its all-new 787 Dreamliner as a game changer for the aviation industry.
The Chicago-based firm says the mid-sized, long-haul plane, half of it built with lightweight composite materials, consumes 20 per cent less fuel than comparable planes its size.
It is the first mid-sized airplane capable of flying long-range routes, responding to passengers' demands for non-stop travel, Boeing says.
The Dreamliner boasts larger windows, bigger luggage storage bins and improved cabin pressure with more humidity than conventional jets.
Boeing says the 787 Dreamliner is the fastest-selling twin-aisle airplane in aviation history, with more than 800 orders since the program was launched in 2004.
All Nippon Airways, the launch customer for the new jetliner, with 55 orders, signed the delivery contract for its first 787 Dreamliner on Sunday, marking the official delivery.
But on Monday, the companies were celebrating the milestone event at the Boeing 787 factory in Everett, Washington state, where Airplane 24, painted in ANA's special blue, white and red livery, was on display.
"Please take very good care of it, we're so proud," said Jim Albaugh, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, as he handed a giant metal key to ANA CEO Shinichiro Ito.
MAIDEN FLIGHT TO TOKYO
ANA is to fly the twin-aisle jetliner, with Ito aboard, to Tokyo on Tuesday, arriving the next day.
The Japanese carrier plans its first commercial 787 service from Tokyo to Hong Kong next month, followed by regular services to Beijing and Frankfurt.
The Dreamliner's first regular international service will start from December for the Haneda-Beijing route, followed by its first regular long-haul international service between Haneda and Frankfurt beginning in January.
The mid-sized plane is crucial to Boeing's strategy. It is the maker's first new design in more than a decade, drawing on huge advances in aviation technology.
Boeing, the world's second-biggest aircraft maker behind Airbus, launched the Dreamliner program in April 2004 and initially had planned to deliver the first plane to ANA in the first half of 2008.
But the aircraft only managed to make its first flight in December 2009.
The series of delays in the 787 program has cost Boeing billions of dollars as some airlines cancelled their orders.
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