Nearly two dozen Boeing 787 Dreamliners are already flying all over the world, but this week the first one for a U.S. airline was delivered to United Airlines, in Everett, Wash. The airplane is the first of 50 copies the airline has on order, with five to be delivered by the end of this year. The 787 will start out on domestic flights, then transition to international flights later this year. Next year, the airplane will operate on United’s new Denver-to-Tokyo route. “Customers will be more comfortable with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems,” according to Boeing. The airplane will be flown to United’s hub in Houston sometime this week.
United said the 787 is configured to seat 183 in economy and 36 in business/first class. Training for crews will take about a month. The airplane will then fly its first commercial route on Nov. 4, from Houston to Chicago. “The Dreamliner will revolutionize the flying experience for United customers and crews,” the airline said in a statement. The first 787 was delivered in September 2011 to a customer in Japan, and 23 copies have been delivered so far.
