Boeing finally unveils 787 Dreamliner
In a much anticipated event, Boeing is unveiling its 787 Dreamliner this Sunday. The plane is the world’s first large commercial jet to be made from a carbon-fibre composite, and Boeing’s first all-new airliner in more than a decade. According to Boeing, airlines using the 787 will save on maintenance costs and fuel, which means that carriers can tout their planes as a greener way of flying and save 20 percent on fuel as oil prices climb.
The mid-sized Dreamliner also seats 210 to 330 people, depending on which three planned models an airline buys. Also the technology used will form the basis for future planes developed by Boeing.
Already 642 orders worth about $100 billion at list prices have been sold since 2004.
The first of the new planes will not make an inaugural flight but instead will be rolled out of Boeing’s Everett, Washington, plant on Sunday. The ceremony, like a Hollywood release, will be in front of about 15,000 staff, customers and suppliers.
The aircraft will not actually fly until August or September, when its airborne tests are due to start.
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Boeing is banking on selling the mid sized aircraft versus Airbus who is staking its future on its superjumbo, 555-seater A380. Airbus unveiled 562 orders worth $79 billion at last month’s Paris Air Show, compared with Boeing’s 125 orders, worth $15.9 billion.
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