Tag Archives: Boeing 7878

Qatar Airways puts its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner into revenue service to Dubai

Qatar Airways (Doha) yesterday (November 20) entered its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner into revenue service on the short Doha-Dubai route. The company issued the following statement:

Qatar Airways on November 20 began commercial services of its brand new Boeing 787 aircraft with Doha – Dubai becoming the Dreamliner’s debut route.

Qatar Airways First 787 Dreamliner Prepares To Take Off To Dubai

The state-of-the-art aircraft is being deployed on four daily rotations between the two cities marking a new era for Middle East aviation as Qatar Airways is the Boeing 787 launch customer in the region.

Flight QR 106 took off from Doha International Airport at 0800 hrs for the one hour journey to Dubai.

Qatar Airways’ newest addition to its fleet heralds the start of an exciting new era for travellers worldwide with unparalled levels of comfort and luxury onboard Boeing’s next generation aircraft.

The 787 services to and from the UAE will target peak travel times in a combination of morning, afternoon and night flights to Dubai.

The new operation comes less than a week after the aircraft’s delivery flight from Seattle to Doha, where it has since spent a few days positioned at Doha International Airport giving staff an opportunity to tour the aircraft before it enters commercial service.

Qatar Airways has orders for 60 Dreamliners. The next four 787s are due to join the fleet by the end of December.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the maiden commercial route marked yet another exciting achievement for the award-winning airline.

“Today signifies an exciting and hugely anticipated occasion for Qatar Airways, as well as the global aviation industry. It is with enormous pride for my country, our employees and myself that we are embarking on another momentous achievement for our award-winning airline with the introduction of 787 passenger flights. The Dreamliner is yet another first for Qatar Airways, our customers and for the Middle East aviation industry, he said.

“Dubai is one of our most popular routes and we felt it important to give our passengers in and around our neighbouring city an opportunity to experience the comforts of our new plane before it begins long-haul commercial services.

“With this launch we reaffirm our continued commitment to challenge and lead the aviation industry, redefining the passenger experience as we deliver a truly five-star offering to travellers around the world.

“I have no doubt that our passengers – aviation fanatics, seasoned travellers and first time flyers alike will cherish their first time aboard our 787s and look forward to savouring the experience time and time again. The 787 raises the bar for luxury commercial travel and the experience for travellers around the world will never be the same again,” added Al Baker.

Following the 787s welcome into commercial service on the Doha – Dubai route, it will then spread its wings on one of the airline’s five daily flights to London Heathrow. As more 787s join the fleet over the course of the next few weeks, the aircraft will be inducted on other long-haul routes including Zurich, Frankfurt and Delhi.

Qatar Airways has 254 custom-made seats across its 787 Business and Economy Class cabins with specially designed interiors, together with a unique inflight entertainment system offering over 1,000 audio and video programming options. Its Dreamliners are also the world’s first fully connected 787s with wireless facilities for passengers to remain in touch with their friends and loved ones on the ground.

A striking feature of every seat throughout the aircraft is the award-winning touch screen Android system, where passengers are able to navigate through a truly interactive service offering more than 1,000 movie, TV programmes, music and gaming entertainment options in a sophisticated and user friendly way, just like the latest smart phones.

The touch-screen control unit has a unique dual screen interface allowing passengers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying a movie on their personal screen. Passengers are also able to be fully connected through WIFI and GSM telephony, sending both text and MMS messages, with each seat equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets.

In addition, dynamic mood lighting and the composite design of the Dreamliner with lighter materials, will ensure passengers are less fatigued and more refreshed as the cabin pressure is 2,000 feet closer to ground level with an air purification system that is cleaner and healthier than many other aircraft.

The 787 Dreamliner is made up of composite materials making it a lighter and more fuel efficient than any comparable aircraft of its size and range. Key features include larger windows, lower cabin pressure at higher altitude ensuring less fatigue, mood lighting throughout the aircraft and more passenger space and comfort.

Since the beginning of 2012, Qatar Airways has launched flights to 10 new destinations – Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar), Maputo (Mozambique), and Belgrade (Serbia).

Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Warsaw, Poland (December 5), Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).

Qatar Airways:

LOT Polish Airlines takes delivery of its first Boeing 787, becomes the first European carrier to fly the Dreamliner

LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw) and Boeing yesterday (November 14) celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The Polish carrier is the first European airline to take delivery of the 787.

Senior LOT and Boeing executives, as well as Polish and US government officials, celebrated the historic delivery at an event at the Future of Flight Aviation Center in Mukilteo, Washington, near Boeing’s 787 final assembly plant in Everett.

LOT will operate the 787 on short-haul flights across Europe in December, and will introduce the Dreamliner on its long-haul passenger service from Warsaw to Chicago in January 2013. LOT will also use the 787 to operate routes from Warsaw to New York (JFK), Toronto (Pearson) and Beijing.

The 787 Dreamliner is composed of light-weight composites and features numerous systems, engine and aerodynamic advancements, making it more efficient to operate compared with its competition. It is the first mid-sized airplane capable of flying long-range routes, providing airlines with unprecedented fuel economy and low operating costs and enabling airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by passengers.

This delivery is the first of eight Dreamliners that LOT has on order. The cabin is configured with 18 Elite Club seats (Business Class), 21 Premium Club seats (Premium Economy) and 213 seats in Economy Class. Customers will experience unparalleled levels of comfort with the 787’s improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features.

LOT’s first Dreamliner, the pictured 787-8 SP-LRA (msn 35938, ex N1026G) has landed in Warsaw this morning, Thursday, November 15, where LOT is celebrating the 787’s arrival into its fleet with a reception led by the airline and Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk.

LOT Polish Airlines:

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Qatar Airways takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Boeing (Chicago) and Qatar Airways (Doha) yesterday (November 12) celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The airplane (A7-BCB), the first of 30 787s ordered by the airline, is also the first to be delivered to an airline in the Middle East.

Made from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow airlines such as Qatar Airways to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. The airline has announced that it will deploy the Dreamliner on services to Dubai, London Heathrow, Delhi and Zurich, with others planned as additional 787s join the fleet.

According to the manufacturer, “In addition to providing airlines with unprecedented fuel economy and low operating costs, the 787 features a host of new technologies that greatly enhance the passenger experience. Qatar Airways’ customers will also experience cabin environment improvements such as improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features. The airline’s 787 cabins are configured with 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy.”

Qatar Airways’ first Boeing 787 is also the airline’s 32^nd Boeing airplane and will join a fleet of 31 Boeing 777 passenger and cargo aircraft. The Doha-based airline currently flies to a global network of 120 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Qatar Airways:

United Airlines receives FAA certification for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the first revenue flight is on November 4

United Airlines (Chicago) today announced that the company has successfully completed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification process for its 787 Dreamliner. United can now begin flying the Dreamliner for passenger service, beginning with its inaugural 787 commercial flight departing Houston (Bush Intercontinental) for Chicago (O’Hare) November 4 at 7:20 a.m. CST.

United’s first Dreamliner arrived in Houston on September 28 to begin a month-long certification program that included non-commercial flights to several of United’s domestic and international stations, totaling more than 100 flight hours. During this time, the aircraft underwent a series of test scenarios, including diversions and simulated mechanical issues, in thorough preparation for service.

United has received two of the 50 Dreamliners it has on order. Configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 70 seats in United Economy Plus and 113 seats in United Economy, the Dreamliner will revolutionize the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions. Customers will experience greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features.

United 787 Virtual Tour

A virtual tour of United’s Dreamliner is now available through the United Hub at unitedhub.com and on the media center at unitedcontinentalholdings.com. The virtual tour provides a detailed look at the aircraft’s unique characteristics through a variety of animated, interactive features. The tour enables viewers to sample the Dreamliner’s United BusinessFirst seats, electrochromatic window shades, six styles of LED cabin lighting and more. The virtual tour also includes segments on the 787’s state-of-the-art flight deck, crew rest areas and lavatories, as well as information about the Dreamliner’s General Electric GEnx engines, wing technology and cargo capabilities. A “facts & figures” section of the tour offers a series of graphics that illustrate the Dreamliner’s capabilities and specifications.

Copyright Photo: United’s first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the pictured N20904 (msn 34824) climbs away from Everett (Paine Field).

United Airlines:

Ethiopian Airlines to lease three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners from ILFC

Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) will lease three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners from ILFC. ILFC issued the following statement:

International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc., announced Ethiopian Airlines has agreed to lease three of Boeing’s new Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft.

Ethiopian will have thirteen 787 aircraft by 2015.

The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2015 and will carry GEnx-1B70/75 engines. ILFC is the largest customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with an order book of 74 aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines:

JAL to start Tokyo Narita-Helsinki service on February 25, commences new 787 routes to Singapore

Japan Airlines (JAL) (Tokyo) has announced February 25, 2013 as the launch date for its inaugural service between Tokyo (Narita) and Helsinki.

Flight schedule of new Tokyo – Helsinki service, commencing on February 25, 2013:

Flight Number

Route

Dep. Time

Arr. Time

Aircraft

Days of Operation

JL413

Narita – Helsinki

11:45

15:05

787-8　Business　Economy

Mo, Tu, Th, Sa from February 25, 2013

Daily service planned for first half of FY2013.

JL414

Helsinki – Narita

17:25

10:15 + 1

・The above schedule is subject to government approval.

・The above timings may change after March 30, 2013 following the standard industry switch from winter to summer schedules.

・The increase in frequency to a daily service is subject to the delivery schedule of the 787-8.

In addition, JAL started Tokyo (Haneda)-Singapore and Tokyo (Narita)-Singapore 787 service on October 14. Both routes will be offered three days a week becoming daily service on October 28.

Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa. The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner logojet. 787-8 JA828J (msn 38438) in the special “Sora wo Tobu” (Flying Sky) motif was also introduced on October 14. Designed by Studio Ghibil, the logojet features the art of seven children. JA828J is pictured pushing back from gate 114 of the International Terminal at Tokyo (Haneda) on a late night departure bound for Singapore as flight JL 35.

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JAL-Japan Airlines:

Qatar Airways to join the Oneworld alliance

Qatar Airways (Doha) announced today (October 8) it will join the Oneworld alliance. The airline issued the following statement:

Qatar Airways is to join oneworld^®, adding one of the world’s fastest growing and most highly rated airlines to the world’s leading quality airline alliance.

Its election as a oneworld member designate was announced today at a press conference in New York – home of oneworld’s central alliance management office – with senior executives of Qatar Airways and the alliance’s established member airlines in attendance.

Qatar Airways, named Airline of the Year for the past two years by the Skytrax independent airline quality rating agency, is the first of the three major airlines based in the Gulf to sign for any of the global airline alliances. It is also the second largest full service airline in the world not, until today, aligned to one of big global airline alliances.

The Doha-based airline’s implementation into oneworld is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.

The carrier is set to move into a brand new home in 2013 with the opening of the New Doha International Airport, designed to strengthen its position as a premium global hub with an eventual capacity for 50 million passengers a year.

As a member of oneworld, Qatar Airways will fly alongside some of the biggest and best brands in the airline business. British Airways will serve as its sponsor in joining oneworld, supported by the central oneworld alliance team, mentoring the recruit through its alliance implementation programme.

Qatar Airways will be oneworld’s second member airline based in the Middle East, alongside Royal Jordanian, which became the first airline from the region to join any of the global alliances when it boarded oneworld in 2007.

In just 15 years of operations, Qatar Airways has built up a solid international route network flying to key business and leisure destinations worldwide – and winning countless awards for high service levels, including the Five Star accolade given by Skytrax.

Qatar Airways’ network serves 120 destinations in 70 countries in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and Australasia, including oneworld hubs Amman, Berlin Tegel, Buenos Aires Ezeiza, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Madrid, Melbourne, Moscow Domodedovo, New York JFK, Osaka Kansai, Sydney, Tokyo Narita, and the Kuala Lumpur home of oneworld member elect Malaysia Airlines.

Fifteen of its destinations and three countries – Iran, Rwanda and the Seychelles – will be new to theone world map. More significantly, Qatar Airways will substantially strengthen oneworld’s customer offering by providing superior routing alternatives across many hundreds of city pairs. For example, passengers flying between Asia and Southern Europe or between Asia and Africa will now have convenient one-stop connections not previously available within the oneworld network.

Qatar Airways operates one of the world’s youngest and most modern fleets, currently standing at 111 Boeing and Airbus aircraft with an average age of just four years old.

Its addition will increase oneworld’s global coverage to 856 destinations in 159 countries, served by a combined fleet of 2,600 aircraft operating more than 9,300 flights and carrying almost a million passengers every day (342 million a year), generating annual revenues of nearly US$ 120 billion.

Qatar Airways already code-shares with oneworld member designate Malaysia Airlines. It will develop bilateral links with more airlines in the alliance as it moves towards becoming a member of the group.

Two established oneworld member airlines currently serve its Doha home – British Airways from its London hub, and Royal Jordanian from its Amman base – along with member elect SriLankan, from its Colombo hub. Opportunities for increasing the alliance’s services to Doha will be explored as Qatar Airways prepares to join.

When Qatar Airways becomes part of oneworld, its customers will gain access to the alliance’s truly global network. The 2.2 million members of its Privilege Club frequent flyer programme will be able to earn and redeem rewards on any of oneworld’s other carriers, with top tier members able to use any of the group’s 550 plus airport lounges, and its network will be covered by oneworld’s market leading range of alliance fares.

At the same time, the 125 million frequent flyer cardholders of oneworld’s established airlines will be able to earn and redeem rewards when flying on Qatar Airways and access Qatar Airways’ lounges.

What the CEOs say:

Among those alongside Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker at today’s New York press conference to welcome the airline to oneworld were American Airlines’ Chairman and Chief Executive Tom Horton, Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board; Chief Executive of IAG, parent of British Airways and Iberia, Willie Walsh; oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby; and senior representatives from other oneworld member airlines.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Alliances are playing an increasingly important role in the airline industry today – and that will continue long into the future. Qatar Airways has carefully reviewed its strategic options and it is very clear that joining oneworld is by far the best way forward for us as we look to strengthen our competitive offering and give passengers what they fully deserve – more choice. Like Qatar Airways, oneworld is focused on quality and providing the best connections between the places most important to today’s frequent international travellers.

“In Qatar Airways’ relatively short history, we have quickly established a reputation for innovation, quality and excellence in everything we do, raising standards which our industry peers have watched with envy. We are pleased to build on that by becoming the only major airline from the Gulf to date to be invited to join any of the global airline alliances – and we are proud to have been invited to join the best of them, in oneworld. We look forward to completing all the joining requirements as soon as possible, and to fly alongside some of the best airlines in the world long into the future, bringing heightened benefits offered by oneworld to our customers.”

American Airlines’ Chairman and Chief Executive Tom Horton, Chairman of the oneworld Governing Board, said: “Quality has always been the hallmark of oneworld, so we are pleased to welcome to our alliance another of the world’s highest quality airlines. oneworld aims to be the first choice alliance for frequent international travelers the world over. Adding Qatar Airways will significantly improve our connectivity between many of the destinations that are most important to those customers, so today’s agreement with Qatar Airways will enable us to offer even more value.”

Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of IAG, parent of British Airways and Iberia, said: “In Qatar Airways,oneworld is pleased to welcome another great airline that will enhance oneworld’s network and product offerings in one of the world’s fastest growing regions for air travel demand. Its fine reputation for customer service mirrors oneworld’s own focus. British Airways is delighted to be serving as the sponsor of Qatar Airways in joining oneworld.”

oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby added: “The big three Gulf carriers have been embraced by millions of consumers the world over – just as consumers have embraced global airline alliances. Our own analysis clearly demonstrated that Qatar Airways is the best fit for oneworld’s network, requirements, philosophy and strategy. oneworld is delighted to be the first of the global alliances to welcome a member airline from this region, enabling us to be the first to offer consumers the services and benefits offered by both a global alliance and a Gulf carrier. We look forward to welcoming another great airline to oneworld.

“oneworld’s flexible approach to bilateral cooperation with carriers outside our alliance means that links already established between our member airlines with other carriers from this region may continue in tandem with Qatar Airways’ addition to oneworld, further strengthening the choice and convenience we collectively offer our customers.”

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Qatar Airways is becoming a major Boeing 787-8 operator. Boeing 787-8 A7-BCL (msn 38330) is seen at Paine Field near Everett, WA.

Qatar Airways:

Qatar Airways takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

Qatar Airways (Doha) according to this report by Reuters, has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The report is based on a confirmation by Boeing yesterday (October 5). The aircraft has been flown to Victorville, CA for some additional work and will return to the Seattle area for a formal delivery ceremony.

Previously the airline had refused to take delivery of any 787s until problems with the General Electric Company-built GEnx engines were resolved. A GEnx engine on a 747-8 failed last month in Shanghai.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner A7-BCB (msn 38320) arrives back at Paine Field near Everett, WA after a test flight.

Qatar Airways:

United Airlines takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

United Airlines (Chicago) and Boeing (Chicago) announced today (September 24) the delivery of the airline’s first 787-8 Dreamliner. United is the first airline in North America to take delivery of the 787.

United has announced it will initially use the 787 on international routes to Africa, Asia and Europe. The airline will conduct temporary domestic flights before transitioning its 787 fleet to international service in late 2012.

Made from composite materials, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes and will allow airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. In addition to providing airlines with unprecedented fuel economy and low operating costs, the 787 features a host of new technologies that greatly enhance the passenger experience.

This delivery marks the first of 50 Dreamliners that United has on order. The airline’s 787 cabin is configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 72 seats in United Economy Plus and 111 seats in United Economy. Customers will be more comfortable with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features.

United’s first Dreamliner is expected to arrive in Houston later this week to begin a month-long training and certification program including non-commercial flights to each of United’s domestic hubs.

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean. Boeing 787-8 N20904 (msn 34824) is pictured at Everett (Paine Field) prior to the official handover.

For an insider’s view of N20904 read Jay Selman’s Guest Editor column: CLICK HERE

United Airlines:

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Air India to introduce the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on September 19

Air India (Mumbai) will introduce its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner into revenue service on September 19 on the Delhi – Chennai and Delhi – Bangalore routes per Airline Route.

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