Tag Archives: Boeing Dreamliner

ANA announces the first Boeing 787-9 revenue flights on August 7

ANA (All Nippon Airways) (Tokyo) announced that it will launch scheduled services to three domestic Japanese destinations using the latest stretched version of the Boeing Dreamliner, the 787-9, from August 7. The plane, in 395-seat configuration, will be introduced progressively on routes between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Fukuoka, Osaka (Itami) and Matsuyama as ANA becomes the first airline in the world to operate the scheduled flight of 787-9.

In addition to the first 787-9 going into service in August, ANA is scheduled to take delivery of a further two aircraft in the fiscal year ending March 2015. For the launch of international services, ANA has opted for the 215-seat version of the long-range aircraft – 46 seats more than the existing Boeing 787-8 currently used on international long-haul routes.

The 787-9 is engineered for greater fuel economy than 787-8, while also ensuring approximately 20% more seating and cargo capacity and will help ANA achieve expansion into new markets.

ANA will focus on utilizing the 395-seat version of the 787-9 on major domestic routes to maximize passenger numbers, while also lowering operational costs.

On ANA’s international network, the plan is to utilize the 787-9 to increase capacity on some long-haul routes to Europe, North America and other key destinations which are at present served by the smaller 787-8 or to replace larger aircraft currently operating the routes. This will help ANA to maximize commercial returns, stabilize operating costs and enhance its ability to win more passengers and bigger cargo demand.

ANA is determined to take maximum advantage of the competitive edge provided by the outstanding fuel efficiency of the Boeing 787 to accelerate its growth and make the airline stronger.

Boeing 787-9 Schedules:

Update: As planned, on August 4, ANA operated the world’s first passenger Boeing 787-9 flight when the pictured JA830A flew a sightseeing trip from Tokyo (Haneda) and with 171 Japanese and American elementary school students residing in Japan as part of the TOMODACHI Initiative.

Read the full story from ZipanguFlyer: CLICK HERE

Update: ANA became the first airline in the world to place the Boeing 787-9 into scheduled revenue service on August 7. Boeing 787-9 JA830A, their first of the stretched Dreamliner, inaugurated operations on the Tokyo (Haneda) – Fukuoka route according to ZipanguFlyer.

Read the full story from ZipanguFlyer: CLICK HERE

ANA:

ANA to become the first operator of the stretched Boeing 787-9 on August 4

ANA (All Nippon Airways) (Tokyo) will become the world’s first airline to operate the new stretched version of the Boeing Dreamliner when it launches services on domestic Japanese routes in August with the 787-9 variant of the aircraft.

Deliveries to ANA of the 787-9, an extended fuselage model of the aircraft, from Boeing’s Everett site in Washington are due to begin on July 27. The first aircraft will arrive in Tokyo on July 29. The aircraft achieves even better fuel economy than the 787-8, recording an improvement of 23% (*1), and also has approximately 20% more seating and cargo capacity (*2), resulting in a further reduction in operating costs. The aircraft will contribute to the continued expansion of ANA’s business, particularly in its international network.

In advance of bringing the plane into scheduled commercial service, ANA is going to operate a special commemorative flight for the ‘Dreamliner’ on August 4, 2014. ANA will fly Japanese and American elementary school children living in Japan on a flight for the next generation of air passengers. The aircraft will fly from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to fly over Mount Fuji, one of Japan’s best known landmarks and newest World Heritage Site. The TOMODACHI logo will be displayed on the new aircraft, in support of the initiative to strengthen Japanese-US ties.

About the TOMODACHI logo:

ANA signed the sponsorship agreement in 2012 for the public-private partnership TOMODACHI Initiative led by the US Embassy in Japan and the US-Japan Council to strengthen US-Japan ties. An opportunity was created to promote these principles and expand these activities by displaying the TOMODACHI logo on three aircraft to fly on routes between the US and Japan.

While the aircraft is expected to show lower operating costs and improved environmental performance as a result of even better fuel economy, the 787-9, like the 787-8, makes use of state-of-the-art technology to provide customers with a new level of in-flight comfort through innovations such as improved cabin humidity, reduced discomfort from cabin pressure changes, and larger windows and luggage storages.

ANA’s first 787-9 will be delivered with domestic route specifications and will be equipped with 395 seats, 60 more than the 787-8 when flown on domestic routes. The aircraft will begin service on domestic routes from August onwards and, from the next fiscal year beginning in April, 2015, ANA will introduce the new aircraft on international routes. ANA was the launch customer for the Dreamliner and is the world’s biggest operator of the 787, having ordered a total of 80 aircraft, including 36 787-8s (28 already delivered) and 44 787-9s.

The fuel savings achieved from the 787 aircraft already in service are sufficient to operate 500 round trips from Tokyo to Frankfurt and are reducing CO2 emissions by 150,000 tons a year. When all 80 Dreamliners are in operation, the CO2 reduction will be 450,000 tons, with enough fuel saved to operate 1,400 round trips to Frankfurt.

The introduction of this new, advanced aircraft will accelerate ANA’s growth strategy including the development of new routes and increased flight frequencies on existing routes, enabling ANA to serve passengers better and making it even more competitive.

(*1) The fuel economy comparison is based on the Boeing 767-300 ER
(*2) The seat number comparison is based on the number of seats in cabins fitted for domestic routes.

The cargo comparison is based on the cargo capacity by weight.

ANA CEO’s statement on the reliability and performance of the new 787 batteries:

A year has passed since we recommenced regular flights of Boeing 787 on June 1 of last year with a comprehensive battery strategy after the emergency landing of ANA Flight 692 at Takamatsu Airport on January 16 of last year.

Since then we have operated approximately 26,000 flights with over 4.7 million passengers and about 100,000 tons of cargo and mail. Regarding the renovated batteries, we have monitored their operating conditions on a daily basis and regularly removed them from the aircraft for inspection. We have confirmed that they are operating normally.

The ANA Group is making every effort to ensure safe flight operations in order to provide peace of mind to our customers. We look forward to serving you on board the comfortable and environmentally friendly 787.

Osamu Shinobe
President & CEO
All Nippon Airways, Co. Ltd.

June 2, 2014

On-Time Reliability of the 787 versus the 777 and 767:

Copyright Photo: Steve Bailey/AirlinersGallery.com (click on the photo for the full size view). Boeing 787-9 N1792B (msn 34522) will become JA830A on the handover.

ANA:

Japan Airlines to bring the Boeing 787 to Vancouver starting on February 3

Japan Airlines-JAL (Tokyo) has announced it will begin Boeing 787 operations on its daily nonstop service between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Tokyo’s Narita Airport (NRT) beginning on Monday, February 3, 2014. This inaugural flight will mark the first-ever scheduled arrival of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to YVR.

JAL will introduce the 787-8 Dreamliner to the YVR-NRT route using a phased approach, beginning with one weekly flight on Mondays and extending to its daily flights by March 2014.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 JA828J (msn 38438) approaches the runway for landing in Bangkok.

JAL-Japan Airlines:

JAL to pull the Boeing 787-8 from two routes due to GE engine icing concerns

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) announced today, according to Retuters, it will pull its Boeing 787-8s from two international routes after Boeing notified the carrier of icing concerns in the General Electric GEnx engines.

The carrier was advised to not fly the aircraft with these engines near thunderstorms following a recent incident in which a 747 experienced a loss of power after flying through a thunderstorm.

JAL will remove the 787-8 on its Tokyo-Delhi and Tokyo-Singapore routes while also dropping plans to use 787-8s on its Tokyo-Sydney route starting next month.

Read the full Reuters report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Royal S. King/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner JA828J (msn 38438) lands after a test flight at Paine Field near Everett.

JAL-Japan Airlines:

Japan Airlines to restore Boeing 787 service on June 1

Japan Airlines-JAL (JAL Group) (Tokyo) will restore Boeing 787 passenger operations on June 1. Currently the airline is conducting test flights. The restored routes will be Tokyo (Narita)-Boston, Tokyo (Narita)-San Diego, Tokyo (Narita)-Singapore, Tokyo (Haneda)-Singapore and Tokyo (Haneda)-Beijing. A new route from Tokyo (Narita) to Helsinki will commence on July 1. The airline has issued this detailed report on the fleet and route plans:

Boeing 787-8 will return to service in sequence on June 1, 2013 after completely confirming the safety and reliability of the aircraft, including the proper installation of the improvements. JAL restarts daily service between Tokyo (Narita) and Boston as well as San Diego, and the daily nonstop service between Tokyo (Narita) and Helsinki will be launched from July 1, 2013 which was postponed in February 2013.

Larger aircraft, Boeing 777-200 ER instead of Boeing 767 will be assigned to fly between Japan and Bangkok and Honolulu in order to meet a robust passenger demand and further maximize revenue.

With the aim to achieve “Customer Satisfaction Number 1”, one of JAL Group Medium-Term Targets, JAL is actively moving ahead to provide our passengers much more quality products. 777-300 ER (JAL SKY SUITE 777) has been introduced on European and North American routes, in addition, More products like the seats are going to be refurbished on European and North American routes as well as Honolulu and Bangkok (Narita/Haneda=Bangkok) routes which Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 777-200 ER have been used for. The aircrafts equipped with personal TV will be arranged on all the international routes during the first half of fiscal year 2013(year ending March 31, 2014). JAL strives to make every customer’s journey refreshing and comfortable experience.

*The following schedules are subject to government approval.

New Route from July 1, 2013

Flight Number

Route

Dep. Time

Arr. Time

Aircraft

Class

Days of Operation

JL413

Narita = Helsinki

10:30

14:55

787-8

Business,

Economy

Daily

(from July 1 to Oct.26,2013)

JL414

Helsinki= Narita

17:25

09:05

Boeing 787-8 Will Be Arranged on the Following Routes**

Route	Period	Remarks
Narita = Boston	June 1,2013 ~	Daily operation from June 1,2013(4 weekly round-trip flights from Mar,31-May 31,2013)
Narita = San Diego	June 1,2013 ~	Daily operation from June 1,2013(3 weekly round-trip flights from Mar,31-May 31,2013)
Narita = Singapore	June 1,2013 ~	JL719/JL712,JL711/JL710;JL710(from Jun. 2, 2013)
Haneda = Singapore	June 1,2013 ~
Haneda = Beijing	June 1,2013 ~
Narita = Delhi	July 12,2013 ~
Narita = Moscow	September 1,2013 ~	3 weekly round-trip flights(We,Fr,Su)
Haneda = San Francisco	September 1,2013 ~	JL001(from August 31,2013)
Narita = Sydney	December 1,2013 ~	JL772(from December 2,2013)
Narita = Bangkok	December 2.2013~	JL707/JL718, 4 among 7 weekly round-trip flights;JL718(from December 3,2013)

**The type of aircraft might be changed due to the delivery schedule of the 787-8.

**Please visit http://www.jal.com/en/flight/boeing787/ to get the information regarding JAL’s Boeing 787 fleet.

Other Aircraft Type Changes***

Route	Details	Period	Remarks(flight/day/aircraft)
Narita = Honolulu	From767-300ER to 777-200ER	June 1,2013 ~	JL782/JL781
Chubu = Honolulu	From 767-300ER to 777-200ER	July12,2013 ~
Kansai = Honolulu	From 767-300ER to 777-200ER	September 1,2013 ~
Kansai = Shanghai(Pudong)	From 737-800 to 767-300ER	September 1,2013 ~
Haneda = Bangkok	From 767-300ER to 777-200ER	December 1,2013 ~
Narita = Bangkok	From 767-300ER to787-8, 777-200ER	December 1,2013 ~	JL707/Mo,Tu,Th,Sa/787-8

JL707/We,Fr,Su/777-200ER

JL718/Tu,We,Fr,Su/787-8

JL718/Mo,Th,Sa/777-200ER

JL708/Daily/777-200ER

***The type of aircraft might be changed due to the delivery schedule of the 787-8.

Flight Frequency Changes

Temporarily decrease the flight frequency in response to the passenger demand

Route	Details	Period	Remarks
Narita = Beijing	from 14 to 7 weekly round-trip flights	June 1 ~ July 5, 2013	JL863/JL864 decreased

In-flight Products Improvements on the Middle-haul and Long -haul International Routes

Refurbish the products focusing on the Business class on European and North American routes

Starting with the introduction of fully flat seat to Business Class as well as spacious and functional [SKY SUITE 777] sequentially served on European and North American routes, additionally 777-300 ER and 787-8 will be practically used, and JAL SHELL FLAT NEO (Business class) will be provided on more routes. JAL SKY Wi-Fi has been serving on New York, Chicago and Los Angeles’ routes, which will be expanded sequentially on European routes.

Route

Aircraft

Service

Period

Remarks

Narita = New York

777-300ER

SKY SUITE 777.(*1)

First Class: NEW JAL SUITE

Business Class: SKY SUITE

Premium Economy: SKY PREMIUM

Economy: SKY WIDER

Operated every other day from May 1, 2013 and daily operation from the approx. May.

(*2)

Narita = Paris

July 2013~

Narita = Los Angeles

November 2013~

Narita = Chicago

January 2014~

Narita = Frankfurt

First Class: JAL SUITE

Business Class: JAL SHELL FLAT NEO

Operated every other day from April 2013 and daily operation from the approx. May.

Narita = Moscow

777-200ER

Provide Premium Economy Service

June 2013~the end of August 2013

Haneda = San Francisco

787-8

Business Class: JAL SHELL FLAT NEO

September 1,2013~(*3)

(*1) For more detail on SKY SUITE 777, please visit http://www.jal.co.jp/en/newsky/

(*2) The actual operating date will be introduced on JAL homepage when is has been decided

(*3) The type of aircraft might be changed due to the delivery schedule of the 787-8.

<<International In-flight Internet Service [JAL SKY Wi-Fi]>>

Narita = Frankfurt: daily service from the approx. May 2013(currently provide every other day)

Narita = London: daily service from the approx. July 2013 (currently provide every other day)

Narita = Paris: provide from August 2013

In-flight products improvements on the Southeast Asia, Oceania and Honolulu routes

The 787-8 with JAL SHELL FLAT NEO in Business class and 777-200 ER with JALSHELL FLAT SEAT have been used for Delhi, Sydney, Tokyo (Haneda/Narita) =Bangkok and Honolulu routes, JAL will provide passengers a refreshing onboard experience with the quality in-flight products.

Route	Aircraft	Service	Period	Remarks
Narita = Delhi	787-8	Business Class: JAL SHELL FLAT NEO	July 12,2013 ~	(*1)
Narita = Sydney	777-200ER	Provide Premium Economy Service	June 2013 ~ November 30,2013
Narita = Sydney	787-8	Business Class: JAL SHELL FLAT NEO	December 1,2013 ~
Haneda = Bangkok(*2)	777-200ER	Business Class: JALSHELL FLAT SEAT	December 1,2013 ~
Narita = Bangkok(*3)			December 1,2013 ~
Narita = Honolulu (JL782/JL781)			June 1,2013 ~
Chubu = Honolulu			July 12,2013 ~
Kasai = Honolulu			September 1,2013 ~

(*1) The type of aircraft might be changed due to the delivery schedule of the 787-8

(*2) Haneda = Bangkok (JL33/JL34): Provide the Premium Economy Service from December 1, 2013.

(*3) Narita = Bangkok: ten round-trip flights operated by 777-200 ER and four round-trip flights operated by 787-8 among 14 weekly flights.

Flight Number	Aircraft	Dates of Operation	Remarks
JL717/JL708	777-200ER	Daily	Provide Premium Economy Service
JL707	787-8	Mo,Tu,Th,Sa
JL707	777-200ER	We,Fr,Su
JL718	787-8	Tu,We,Fr,Su
JL718	777-200ER	Mo,Th,Sa

The aircrafts equipped with personal TV will be arranged on all the international routes

The aircrafts equipped with personal TV will be arranged on Narita=Kaohsiung(*1) and Kansai=Seoul(Gimpo) routes during the first half of fiscal year 2013 to attain all JAL international routes served by aircrafts with personal TV.(*2)

(*1) Kansai=Seoul (Gimpo): Provide the Business Service from June 1, 2013

(*2) The type of aircraft might be changed due to the delivery schedule of the 787-8

New seats will be installed onto Boeing 767-300 ER

Improved 767 with fully flat seat in business class and the new spacious seat in Economy class will be served on middle-haul and long-haul routes in the Second half of Fiscal year 2013. The details of the products and available routes will be introduced as soon as they have been decided.

On the financial side, JAL Group announced its fiscal year (through March 31) operating profit had been cut by $13 million due to the 787 grounding. However the group produced a yearly net profit of $1.8 billion.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

JAL-Japan Airlines:

Boeing is now putting the 787 battery through new rigorous testing

Boeing (Chicago) is now testing the 787 batteries to a new standard that it originally helped to develop but never used in the original certification testing according to this excellent report by Reuters.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. JAL’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner JA822J (msn 34832) climbs away from Tokyo (Narita) when it was flying.

JAL-Japan Airlines:

The FAA to allow Boeing to test fly the 787 again, the NTSB questions the FAA’s “special conditions” in allowing lithium-ion batteries

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the Boeing Company (Chicago) permission to conduct test flights again of the 787 if the batteries are properly monitored.

Meanwhile the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the FAA must review the “special conditions” used in approving lithium-ion battery use on the 787. The FAA originally considered the chance of a battery fire as very remote in approving the use. This assumption has proven to be a false assumption. Will lithium-ion batteries be permitted for the future use of the 787? If not, this could be a major delay in the program and a major financial hit for Boeing (787 operators are now talking about compensation).

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

A very good video by the NTSB Chairwoman on the JAL-Japan Airlines 787 battery fire at Boston:

Meanwhile Boeing has issued this statement:

“Boeing welcomes the progress reported by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the 787 investigation, including that the NTSB has identified the origin of the event as having been within the battery. The findings discussed demonstrated a narrowing of the focus of the investigation to short circuiting observed in the battery, while providing the public with a better understanding of the nature of the investigation.

The company remains committed to working with the NTSB, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and our customers to maintain the high level of safety the traveling public expects and that the air transport system has delivered. We continue to provide support to the investigative groups as they work to further understand these events and as we work to prevent such incidents in the future. The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.

The 787 was certified following a rigorous Boeing test program and an extensive certification program conducted by the FAA. We provided testing and analysis in support of the requirements of the FAA special conditions associated with the use of lithium ion batteries. We are working collaboratively to address questions about our testing and compliance with certification standards, and we will not hesitate to make changes that lead to improved testing processes and products.”

Hopefully for the sake of the company, the program and the airlines involved a quick solution can be found. However the bigger issue remains; are lithium-ion batteries safe on airplanes?

Airbus, according to reports, may be taking a different approach now with the A350 given Boeing’s battery problems with the 787.

JAL-Japan Airlines:

Japan Airlines to operate the Tokyo Narita-San Diego route again on January 30

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) will operate a Boeing 777 flight on the Tokyo (Narita)-San Diego route on January 30. It is unclear at this time if the flight will continue beyond this single roundtrip flight. The route has been suspended since the Boeing 787-8 was grounded.

Read the full report from U-T San Diego: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: James Helbock. Tokyo meets San Diego. Flying over an appropriate JAL advertising billboard about the new service, Boeing 787-8 JA827J (msn 34837) completes its final approach over downtown San Diego.

JAL-Japan Airlines:

JAL’s grounded Boeing 787 Dreamliner leaks fuel in tests in Tokyo

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) stated yesterday (January 13) its Boeing 787 Dreamliner involved in the fuel leak (second incident) at Boston last week and undergoing safety checks in Tokyo had leaked fuel again during tests according to this report by Reuters.

According to Reuters, “An open valve on the aircraft caused fuel to leak from a nozzle on the left wing used to remove fuel, a company spokeswoman said. The jet is out of service after spilling about 40 gallons (roughly 150 liters) of fuel onto the airport taxiway in Boston due to a separate valve-related problem.”

Meanwhile Japan’s transport ministry has launched an investigation into the fuel leaks. The FAA and Boeing continue their investigations into the mishaps of the 787.

On January 10 after the first Boston incident involving a fire on another Dreamliner on January 7, 2013, JAL stated:

“Japan Airlines initiated and completed inspections on all other Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet the following the (first) incident at Boston and found no irregularities.

We sincerely apologize for the concern and inconvenience caused to our valuable customers.

Safety is of utmost importance to Japan Airlines and we will continue striving to ensure safe operations of each and every flight, and on all our aircraft types including the 787 Dreamliner. Please be assured on your future travel with us.”

Boeing issued this statement on its involvement with the FAA on the safety review of the 787:

Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney issued the following statement after U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta announced that the FAA and Boeing will start a review of the 787’s recent issues and critical systems:

“Boeing shares the same commitment to air travel safety that Transportation Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Huerta spoke of this morning in Washington, D.C. We also stand 100 percent behind the integrity of the 787 and the rigorous process that led to its successful certification and entry into service. We look forward to participating in the joint review with the FAA, and we believe it will underscore our confidence, and the confidence of our customers and the traveling public, in the reliability, safety and performance of the innovative, new 787 Dreamliner.”

Will Boeing drop the “Dreamliner” name?

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. JAL remains committed to the 787 despite the teething problems of the new type. JAL has taken delivery of seven 787s. 787-8 JA827J (msn 34837) approaches Tokyo (Narita) for landing.

JAL-Japan Airlines:

Boeing announces the final leg of 787 Dream Tour

The Boeing (Chicago) 787 Dream Tour will draw to a close with a seventh leg of international trips. During the tour, a refurbished flight test airplane has demonstrated the Dreamliner’s capabilities to more than 59,000 guests with an estimated 6,000 more to see it during the upcoming stops.

On May 23, the airplane known as ZA003 will depart Boeing Field for Sydney, Australia. Airline officials, government representatives, Boeing employees, suppliers and members of the media will tour the airplane during this leg of the tour. Below are the landing dates for each stop during leg seven.

May 24 – Sydney, Australia
May 29 – Auckland, New Zealand
May 31 – Darwin, Australia
June 1 – Tashkent, Uzbekistan
June 3 – Casablanca, Morocco

Upon completion of the tour, ZA003 will go through a scheduled maintenance period and resume its duties in the 787 flight test fleet. While certification of the baseline 787 models has completed, additional testing is being conducted on airline-specific features, product enhancements, and technologies that will be introduced on the next member of the 787 family, the 787-9.

The Dream Tour airplane is outfitted with the 787’s special cabin features including a welcoming entryway, dramatically larger dimmable windows, bigger bins and dynamic LED lighting. The airplane is configured with a luxurious business-class cabin, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section.

Thousands of fans have followed the progress of the Dream Tour at www.newairplane.com/787/dreamtour, which will continue to be updated throughout the seventh leg of the tour.