United Airlines Adds New Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners arrived to United Airlines in Seattle on Wednesday. According to The Wall Street Journal, Boeing struggled for a long time to sell the jet design, including cancelled orders and claims that the the Dreamliner is “expensive to build,” causing issues with the sales price. Boeing even considered the first three designs of the 787 as “research and development” at a cost of $2.7 billion. Street adds that United Airlines plans to use the latest jets on Houston-based flights as of September 20 until it expands its routes to LAX and Australia.
Street also reports that the new 787-9 models have a range of 8,550 miles, about 350 miles more than the 787-8. The airline company is set to offer the commercial plane with business and economy seating. The vice president of fleet, Ron Baur, commented that the “787-9 builds on the Dreamliner’s fuel efficiency and customer comfort while giving us even more flexibility and range.” Post and Courier explains that United Airlines will be the first carrier in North America to make use of the 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft models. The North American vice president of sales for Boeing, Brad McMullen, stated that the United Airlines delivery was “another important milestone in the successful history of Boeing and United working together.”
Still The Wall Street Journal affirms that the 787 line has been referred to as the “terrible teens” due to the “design and supply chain problems.” They have gained a reputation for being less efficient. It also appears that Boeing continues to make modifications to the 787 design. With steep discounts, however, the Boeing 787-9 units have finally begun to take flight, literally. Each plane sits at the Boeing’s Paine Field Airport, awaiting more orders to fulfill from around the world. Street adds that in June, Air New Zealand was the first to accept delivery of the new jets. United Airlines is only the third company to take on the aircraft, but Boeing confirms that more orders exist.
According to Boeing, the 787-9 Dreamliner is “super-efficient” and functions on 20 percent less fuel than similar airplanes. It also seats 280 passengers and is able to follow through with a takeoff while carrying 557,000 pounds of weight in passengers and cargo. The design was certified on June 13, 2014. It is one of the latest and most impressive accomplishments in aircraft design. Inquisitr notes that Seafair, an annual display of powerful jets and aircrafts, featured the Boeing 787-9 models this year, even before United Airlines got their delivery. Inquisitralso reported that the new Boeing 787-9 has the ability to fly at 687 mph, and that’s only 15% less than the speed of sound.
(Image courtesy of Boeing)
