Tag Archives: Boeing 787-9

Norwegian to lease two Boeing 787-9s from MG Aviation, will operate seasonal New York-Bergen 787 flights, ALPA opposes Norwegian Air International in Ireland

Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian Long Haul) (Norwegian.com) (Oslo) has entered into a lease agreement for two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners for delivery in the first quarter of 2016. The aircraft are the new model 787-9 Dreamliner, which is slightly larger than the 787-8s Norwegian currently uses on its long-haul routes.

Norwegian continues to build up its long-haul fleet for further international growth and has signed an agreement with MG Aviation Ltd. to lease two long-haul Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Norwegian plans to put the aircraft into service during the first quarter of 2016. Norwegian has three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners currently in the fleet and five more on order. Through this, the company in the future will have a fleet of 10 long-haul aircraft, including four delivered in 2014, one in 2015 and two in 2016.

Despite the early problems, “the Dreamliner is a wonderful aircraft, with high passenger comfort, long range and low fuel consumption”, says CEO Bjorn Kjos.

This larger Dreamliner model accommodates more passengers and is more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly than the 787-8 model. Boeing has already made a series of test flights and this type is scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2014.

The company MG Aviation, based in New York and is a leasing company owned by Jordache Enterprises.

In addition, Norwegian will fly one flight per week between New York (JFK) to Bergen (BGO). The first flight from BGO will start on May 3, 2014. The first flight from JFK departs on May 9, 2014 and the route will be operated until September 27, 2014.

Finally, ALPA has issued this statement opposing Norwegian attempt to establish a subsidiary called Norwegian Air International in Ireland:

The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) yesterday called for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to immediately reject Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) foreign air carrier permit application because the company appears to be attempting to evade its national laws and regulations to compete unfairly against U.S. airlines and their employees. The call came in an answer that ALPA filed in response to NAI’s application.

“Norwegian Air International was clearly designed to attempt to dodge laws and regulations, starting a race to the bottom on labor and working conditions,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president. “If successful, the company would gain a serious and unfair economic advantage over U.S. airlines in the competition for the business of international passengers flying to and from the United States. This exploitation of the laws intended to prevent labor law shopping cannot be allowed to stand.”

While Norwegian citizens control NAI, which is a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS), the company uses aircraft registered in Ireland and has applied for an air operator certificate from that country. It appears that its flight crews will work under individual employment contracts that are governed by Singapore law and that have wages and working conditions substantially inferior to those of NAS’s Norway-based pilots.

“If NAS is permitted to pick and choose the countries in which it establishes its subsidiaries and employs its flight crews, U.S. carriers will be put at a severe competitive disadvantage because the United States has one set of laws and regulations for all of its airlines,” said Capt. Moak. “The U.S.-EU air services agreement was never intended to allow this type of scheme, which games the system for competitive economic advantages.”

ALPA maintains that the NAI scheme raises the specter of the “flag of convenience” business practice that undermined the U.S. maritime industry by allowing a vessel to be registered in a country different from its ownership and apply the country of registry’s laws to its operations. The practice precipitated the decline of the industry and the loss of tens of thousands of U.S. maritime jobs as companies flew the flag of countries with the weakest labor and tax laws and regulations.

Moak noted a quote by the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department in an opinion piece published today by Aviation Daily: “We must reject business models premised on scouring the globe for cheap labor no matter the consequences, and not pretend this is somehow acceptable competitive behavior.”

“The NAI scheme must be immediately and unequivocally rejected,” said Moak. “The DOT must not permit U.S. airlines and their employees to face an unfair competitive disadvantage from this runaway shop and swiftly dismiss NAI’s air carrier permit application.”

Moak also called on the Irish government to reject NAI’s attempt to register the aircraft in Ireland. “Ireland should not allow itself to be complicit in NAI’s avoidance scheme,” he concluded.

Copyright Photo: The Norwegian Long Haul Boeeing 787-8s are registered in Ireland. 787-8 EI-LNA (msn 35304) is pictured at Paine Field before the hand over.

Norwegian:

Boeing flies the third 787-9

Boeing (Chicago) yesterday (November 19) flew the third 787-9 Dreamliner, the first to be powered by General Electric GEnx engines. The third of three 787-9s dedicated to the test effort, ZB021 joined the fleet some two months from the inaugural flight of the first 787-9.

ZB021 took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, at 12:15 p.m. local time and landed 2 hours and 44 minutes later at Seattle’sBoeing Field. Boeing will use ZB021 to test engine performance as well as airplane handling characteristics such as low-speed performance and braking.

The 787-9 test program continues to make great progress. The fleet flies regularly, with the second airplane now in Florida for climatic testing, and has accumulated more than 180 flight hours and more than 60 flights. In addition to the three dedicated airplanes, Boeing also will conduct some testing on two production airplanes, the first of which is in final assembly in Everett. 787-10 development also is on plan.

Boeing is on track to deliver the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand in mid-2014. 26 customers have ordered 396 787-9s, accounting for approximately 40 percent of all 787 orders.

ALC finalizes its order for 30 Boeing 787-10s and three 787-9s

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has announced it has completed an order for 30 Boeing 787-10 and three 787-9 Dreamliners. The order, valued at $9.4 billion at list prices, fulfills the commitment originally announced during the 2013 Paris Air Show in June.

The new 787-10, launched in June 2013, will extend and complement the Dreamliner family, carrying 300 to 330 passengers up to 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km), while providing 25 percent more fuel efficiency than airplanes of its size today and more than 10 percent better than anything being offered by the competition for the future. The 787-9 completed its first flight this week and is scheduled for first delivery in mid 2014.

This order for 787-9s and 787-10s adds to the more than 180 Boeing airplanes that ALC already has on order including Next-Generation 737-800s, 737 MAX 8s and 9s, 777-300ERs and 787-9s. The 787-10, which will deliver in 2018, has 102 orders and commitments from five customers.

The Boeing 787-9 completes its first flight

787-9 First Flight, originally uploaded by The Boeing Company.

The Boeing (Chicago) has issued the following statement:

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner took to the skies for the first time yesterday (September 17), beginning a comprehensive flight-test program leading to certification and delivery in mid-2014.

With its distinctive new Boeing livery, the newest member of the efficient 787 family completed a 5-hour, 16-minute flight, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, at 11:02 a.m. local time and landing at 4:18 p.m. at Seattle’s Boeing Field.

“Today’s first flight marks a significant milestone for our team, including our partners,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Conner. “We are tremendously proud to have our customers fly the 787-9 and look forward to delivery of the first airplane to Air New Zealand next year.”

During today’s flight, 787-9 Senior Project Pilot Mike Bryan and 787 Chief Pilot Randy Neville departed to the north, reaching an altitude of 20,400 feet (6,218 meters) and an airspeed of 250 knots, or about 288 miles (463 kilometers) per hour, customary for a first flight. While Capts. Bryan and Neville tested the airplane’s systems and structures, onboard equipment transmitted real-time data to a flight-test team on the ground in Seattle.

“We accomplished a lot in this flight, and it went really well,” said Bryan. “The 787-9 is a great jet and we wanted to just keep on flying.”
Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, the first 787-9 will be joined in flight test by two additional airplanes, one of which will feature General Electric GEnx engines. Those airplanes are in the final stages of assembly in Boeing’s Everett factory. Over the coming months, the fleet will be subjected to a variety of tests and conditions to demonstrate the safety and reliability of the airplane’s design.

The 787-9 will complement and extend the 787 family, offering airlines the ability to grow routes first opened with the 787-8. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters) over the 787-8, the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers), with the same exceptional environmental performance — 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than similarly sized airplanes. The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering the features passengers prefer such as large, dimmable windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.

Boeing is on track to deliver the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand in mid-2014. Twenty-five customers from around the world have ordered 388 787-9s, accounting for 40 percent of all 787 orders.

Boeing’s first 787-9 features a new livery

Boeing (Chicago) continues to make progress on the first 787-9 Dreamliner, which also has become the first 787 to don the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes livery. The airplane has just rolled out of the paint hangar.

This refreshed look for the Boeing family began with the 747-8 and evolved with the 737 MAX. The new livery retains many of the features of the original 787-8 livery, adding a prominent number on the tail to help distinguish among models within the same product family.

The 787-9 will complement and extend the 787 family, offering airlines the ability to grow routes opened with the 787-8. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters), the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers), with 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than similarly sized airplanes. The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering the features passengers prefer such as large, dimmable windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.

Boeing is on track to roll out and fly the 787-9, currently in final production, in late summer. First delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand is set for mid-2014.

The first Boeing 787-9 is rolled out of the Paine Field assembly plant

Boeing (Chicago) has rolled out the first Boeing 787-9. The 787-8 Dreamliner can carry 210 – 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 km), while the longer 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 – 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 km).

According to Wikipedia, the 787-9 will be the first variant of the 787 with a “stretched” or lengthened fuselage that is 206 feet (63 m) long. This variant differs from the 787-8 in several ways, including structural strengthening, a lengthened fuselage, a higher fuel capacity, a higher maximum take-off weight (MTOW), but with the same wingspan as the 787-8. When launched, the 787-9 had the same fuel capacity as the 787-8. The design differences meant higher weight and resulted in a slightly shorter range than the 787-8. After further consultation with airlines, design changes were incorporated to add a forward tank to increase its fuel capacity, so it has a longer range and a higher MTOW than the 787-8. Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the 787-9.

Video:

Air New Zealand announces its Boeing 787-9 destinations

Air New Zealand (Auckland) has confirmed the destinations its new fleet of 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft will fly to. The primary long-haul destinations for the new aircraft will be Shanghai and Tokyo, it will also service mid-haul destinations including Honolulu – Auckland, Perth and Papeete.

Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the 787-9, the first of which is due to roll off the production line at Boeing in Seattle next month. Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says the 787-9 is a game changer for the airline.

“This modern, flexible, fuel-efficient aircraft will not only replace our current fleet of Boeing 767s, it also represents a significant growth opportunity for our business and opens up the prospect of expanding our Pacific Rim footprint.

“Given our 787-9s will be multiple purpose aircraft – operating both long and mid-haul sectors – we’ve put a lot of research effort into coming up with four distinct seating selections that meet the customer expectations across the markets it will serve.”

The Business Premier cabin will feature Air New Zealand’s signature chalk-colored, luxurious leather armchair which converts to an 180 degree lay flat bed complete with memory foam mattress, duvet and two full size pillows.
In the Premium Economy cabin the airline has worked with US seat designer Zodiac on a customized seat best described as Business-lite. This comfortable, ink-colored luxury leather seat will have a 41” pitch, a generous 5” wide armrest and a leg rest and extendable foot support which will allow passengers to really stretch out and relax.
The Economy cabin will feature 16 rows of Air New Zealand’s unique and highly popular Kiwi-designed Skycouch seats. This is a row of three seats that converts into a sofa-like flat surface for both rest and relaxation.
The standard Economy seat in the 787-9 will be also be supplied by US manufacturer Zodiac and customized to Air New Zealand’s specifications including a slim line seat back to enhance the feeling of space, sculpted upholstering and a more flexible headrest.

Mr. Luxon says the addition of the 787-9 to the Air New Zealand fleet means the airline will be able to offer a consistent product experience across its long-haul fleet, and will see the Skycouch available on routes into Asia for the first time.

Images: Air New Zealand. The two versions of the new Air New Zealand livery that will be introduced with the delivery of the first 787-9.

Air New Zealand:

Boeing starts the final assembly of the first 787-9

Boeing (Chicago) has begun final assembly of the first 787-9 Dreamliner. The newest member of the 787 family began taking shape on schedule on May 30 in Everett, Washington, when Boeing started joining large sections of the super-efficient jet.

Boeing will build the first three 787-9s on its Temporary Surge Line in Everett to allow for smoother integration of the 787-9 into the production system while continuing to ramp up production across the 787 program.

The 787-9 will complement and extend the 787 family, offering airlines the ability to grow routes opened with the 787-8. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters), the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 kilometers) while using 20 percent less fuel than similarly sized airplanes. The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering the features passengers prefer such as large, dimmable windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.

The vertical stabilizer on this 787-9 reflects the new Boeing Commercial Airplanes livery, a refreshed look for the Boeing family of airplanes that started with the 747-8 and evolved with the 737 MAX. Many features of the livery on the original 787 are reflected in the new design. The prominent number designator on the tail helps distinguish various models within the same product family.

First flight of the 787-9 is scheduled for the second half of 2013, with first delivery to launch customer Air New Zealand set for early 2014. 20 customers around the world have ordered 355 787-9s, accounting for 40 percent of all 787 orders.

AeroMexico finalizes its order for six additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners

Aeromexico (AMX) 787-8 ArtworkK63728

Boeing (Chicago) and AeroMexico (Mexico City) today announced AM has finalized an order for six 787-9 Dreamliners, with reconfirmation rights for four additional Dreamliners. The order by Mexico’s largest airline, which was first announced as a commitment in July, is valued at more than $1.46 billion at published list prices.

The acquisition of these Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, is part of the 100 aircraft announced earlier this year.

Grupo Aeromexico will have a total of 19 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet, whose first delivery is expected to be in the summer of 2013.

Made primarily from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow Aeromexico to replace older aircraft on its European, Asian and South American routes. As a result of innovative technologies, the airplane offers unparalleled operating economics, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort. More than 800 787s are on order by 58 customers, a testament to the airplane’s unique capabilities.

Image: Boeing.

AeroMexico:

Boeing to move 787-9 tail production to Salt Lake City, will maintain the Norwegian 787s

Boeing (Chicago) will move the production of the horizontal tail of its 787-9 Dreamliners from Seattle to Salt Lake City, Utah according to this Reuters report. Alenia Aermacchi will also take over production.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Video:

In other news, Boeing today announced that Norwegian Air Shuttle (Oslo), the third largest low-cost airline in Europe, is the newest GoldCare customer, with a 12-year agreement that covers the airline’s future 787 Dreamliner fleet. Norwegian has three 787-8s on firm order, with commitments to lease three additional 787s.

Norwegian has selected GoldCare Enterprise, which encompasses the complete parts, engineering, and maintenance solution. Norwegian also is the first customer to select the line maintenance option through the GoldCare MRO network, in which Boeing manages scheduled and minor maintenance that is conducted between flights and overnight. Norwegian will maintain active control responsibility over all engineering and maintenance activities.

GoldCare is Boeing’s flexible lifecycle solution that provides maintenance, engineering and material management as a multi-year service managed by Boeing. GoldCare utilizes Boeing’s advanced global e-enabling technologies.

Top Copyright Photo: James Helbock. Boeing 787-8 N787BX (msn 40692) 787 arrived on March 12 at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field, continuing its six-month worldwide Dream Tour. The airplane will be in San Diego for a limited time for partners, media and Boeing and Goodrich employees to experience the revolutionary technology and passenger experience firsthand.

Goodrich’s Aerostructures business, headquartered in Chula Vista, California, is responsible for the design and manufacture of the nacelles and thrust reversers for the Boeing 787.

Goodrich has a broad range of technology on the innovative aircraft. In addition to the nacelles and thrust reversers, Goodrich also supplies the flight deck lighting system and cabin attendant seating as well as: the cargo system; wheels and electric braking system; exterior lighting; proximity sensing system; and the fuel quantity indicating system and fuel management software. In addition, Goodrich was selected by Rolls-Royce to provide the engine control system and sensor suite for the Trent 1000 engine, an engine option for the 787.

The airplane, ZA003, was originally used for flight testing but has been elegantly refurbished to showcase the standard capabilities and features of the 787.

Norwegian Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Bottom Image: Norwegian Air Shuttle.