Boeing Dreamliner goes into service

ANA will finally put the Boeing 787 Dreamliner into commercial service on Wednesday (26 October) with a charity flight from Narita Airport, 40 miles outside Tokyo, to Hong Kong.  The original schedule called for the plane to be introduced just before the Beijing Olympics.  However it can be justifiably called the first 21st century passenger aircraft, competing for the title the Airbus A380 with a heritage that dates back to the 1990s and lacking some of the advanced concepts of the new plane.

The winning bid for two Business Class seats aboard the maiden flight was for US$32,000.

The aircraft is expected to take off at 12.20 local time for the 4hrs 30mins flight leaving plenty of daylight available for what is bound to be an emotional arrival in Hong Kong.

Whilst it has faced a number of high profile cancellations the advance order book for the 787 still stands at around 800 with just two aircraft delivered to ANA.  Passengers will straight away notice the very large windows (but not as large as the Vickers Viscount we are told) and the futuristic cabin.  The pressurisation is such that travellers are expected not to notice any atmospheric changes, even at 35,000ft. www.boeing.com/commercial/787family

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