Boeing recently delivered to Air France its first 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft is the 500th 787 to be produced by Boeing and will be used on Air France’s Paris to Cairo route starting in January 2017.
“It is with great pride and honour that Air France is taking delivery of its first Boeing 787, the 9th for Air France-KLM. Air France’s first e-enabled aircraft, the Dreamliner marks a new stage in the modernization of our fleet. It will offer customers the best of Air France’s products and services”, said Jean-Marc Janaillac, CEO of Air France-KLM.
“We’re proud that Air France will be flying this milestone airplane, which shows they are an industry leader in customer service and passenger innovation,” said Ray Conner, vice chairman of The Boeing Company. “We also congratulate AerCap on its milestone 50th and appreciate their continued confidence in the Dreamliner.” – Boeing
Air France has ordered a total of 25 Dreamliners plus an additional 12 through a leasing arrangement.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner first flew in 2009 and went into commercial service in October 2011 with All Nippon Airways. The approximate cost of the aircraft is between 225 million to 305 million US dollars and can carry 240 to 335 passengers depending on the configuration. The 787 was designed to be 20% more fuel efficient than the older 767.
Watch The Video Below as this All Nippon Airways 787-9 Dreamliner aggressively maneuvers practicing for the 2016 Farnborough Airshow
Boeing 787 Interior Photo By Kentaro Iemoto from Tokyo, Japan, via Wikimedia Commons
In January 2013 the FAA issued an order that grounded the entire 787 fleet due to potential fire hazard from its lithium ion batteries. Boeing redesigned the battery system and the FAA lifted the grounding order in April 2013 allowing the fleet to return to service.
Photo Courtesy of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), via Wikimedia Commons
Featured Image Courtesy of Boeing