ANA Launches Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Japan’s All Nippon Airways made aviation history on Tuesday by operating the first ever passenger flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The specially chartered flight took off from Narita Airport, Tokyo, with more than 240 passengers of board just after midday and landed four and an half hours later in Hong Kong.

Built mainly from carbon fiber composite material, the Dreamliner’s innovations include:

- Passenger-friendly cabin air pressure - Passenger comfort will be improved by maintaining air pressure inside the cabin at the equivalent of an altitude of 6,000 feet (1,800m), noticeably lower than the 8,000 feet (2,400m) maintained on conventional aircraft. The plane’s composite materials also allow for humidity to be maintained at a more comfortable level for passengers.

- Auto-dimming windows - The 787’s windows are 30% larger than those on the Boeing 767. A higher eye level means passengers can maintain a view of the horizon throughout the flight while smart glass “auto-dimming” windows use electro-chromatic technology to reduce cabin glare at a touch of a button while allowing passengers to still see outside.

- Largest overhead compartments yet - approximately 30% larger than those on the Boeing 777, the overhead compartments have enough space to hold four large-size carry-on bags.

The 787 Dreamliner has strong links with Japan, with Japanese manufacturers providing approximately 35% of all the aircraft parts, including key sections of the wings and fuselage.

ANA has ordered 55 Dreamliners from Boeing and has already received two planes, with a total of 20 expected to be delivered by the end of FY2012. The Dreamliners are expected to eventually help ANA save ¥10 billion a year (US$130m) through fuel savings.

Scheduled services featuring the Dreamliner will begin on 1 November to domestic Japanese destinations and international services on ANA will commence in the following two months with flights initially to Beijing and Frankfurt.

Two domestic excursion flights, departing and landing at Narita and lasting approximately an hour, are also planned following the flight to Hong Kong to allow more ANA customers to experience the increased level of comfort resulting from the plane’s innovative features.

See recent travel news from: Travel News Asia, ANA, Boeing, 787, Dreamliner, Japan, Hong Kong