The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner took to the skies for the first time, beginning a comprehensive flight-test programme leading to certification and delivery in mid-2014

TThe newest member of the efficient 787 family—the 787-9 Dreamliner—took to the skies for the first time on September 17, and completed a five-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.”

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 metres) and an airspeed of 250 knots, or about 288 miles (463 km) per hour, customary for a first flight. While Captains 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.

With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (six metres) over the 787-8, the 787-9 will carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 km), with the same exceptional environmental performance — 20 per cent less fuel use and 20 per cent 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.

The company states that it is on track to deliver the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand in mid-2014. As of now, 25 customers from around the world have ordered 388 787-9s, accounting for 40 per cent of all 787 orders.