First A350 XWB nose section being unloaded from the Beluga aircraft at St Nazaire. Photo by Airbus. Click for larger.
Now that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been delivered and will soon be entering service, I want to share some love with the Airbus A350 XWB.
The A350 line up currently planned will overall, be larger than the 787, even though there will be some overlap. The smaller A350-800 will compete with the larger 787-9 and 787-10. The A350 is slated to carry 250 to 400 passengers, where the 787 models will carry about 210-290 passengers.
Cut away of the Airbus A350 XWB from Flightglobal. Click for larger.
The A350 will be the first airliner manufactured by Airbus using 53% composite materials. We have previously seen the upper wing cover and landing gear, now something a bit more recognizable; the A350 XWB nose section. The A350 nose section comes in three different parts, which is different than the Boeing 787 coming in just one.
At this time, the A350 has 567 orders, where the first aircraft is expected to go to Qatar Airways sometime in later 2013.
Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER with newest livery.
It is rare to find an airline that rocks the cheatline well anymore. For those that do not know, the chealine is a line in an airline’s livery that goes down the side of the fuselage. Airlines like Pan Am, Air France and many more used to proudly display their cheatlines. American Airlines still does it, but I wouldn’t quite say they “rock it.”
Jet Airway’s livery is clean, modern and it is easy to recognize the company. When they started operations in 1993 they had an older livery, that didn’t look as modern, but still had a strong cheatline.
Today, Jet Airways operates a fleet of almost 100 aircraft, including Airbus A330-200s, ATR 72-500s (which is odd because they are not jets), Boeing 777-300ERs, 737-700s, 737-800s, and 737-900s. They are also a customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 10 on order.
Jet Airways is based at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) in Mubai, India and has 76 destinations, including 52 located in India.
Image: Zeldenrust
ANA's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (JA801A) waits in the dark next to the Future of Flight
It was cold, dark and windy, but all worth it to catch the delivery flight of All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) first Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivery flight.
Media watches on as ANA's first 787 gets pushed back.
ANA’s first 787 (JA801A was parked next to the Future of Flight as airline employees loaded up and prepared for their flight to Haneda (HND). The flight was scheduled to take off around 6:35am, but was delayed a bit until about 7:15am. This was okay, since it allowed a little more light before lift off. The aircraft lined up and took off heading south. After lift off, the pilots waved the wings to say good bye.
JA801A lines up for take off at Paine Field.
It was very emotional for Boeing employees who were gathered on the Strato Deck on top of the Future of Flight. Some had tears of happiness, since so much of their life has been tied up in making the 787 successful.
ANA pilots wave the wings as they head off to Japan.
JA801A will be arriving in Tokyo just before 9am local time to another great celebration. You can follow the flight status on FlightAware.com.
MORE PHOTOS OF THE ANA 787 DREAMLINER DELIVERY FLIGHT
500 employees walk with ANA's Boeing 787 Dreamliner during the delivery celebration today.
It was cold and it was very wet, but the celebration was still great. The event was set up outside the Boeing Factory at Paine Field. By the stage was ZA002 in standard ANA livery and down the way sat the 24th 787 with special ANA 787 livery (JA802A). The first 787 to go to ANA, JA801A, was seen parked next to the Future of Flight for its first flight early tomorrow morning. Almost right on time, the 787 in special ANA livery was pulled towards the stage with 500 Boeing employees walking with it.
Scarfs were handed out and then raised in celebration during the 787 Delivery event. A 787 (ZA002) looks on.
After JA802A arrived to the stage, everyone cheered. Hundreds of Boeing workers stood in the rain while executives from both Boeing and ANA talked about this historic event. The first 787 for ANA, JA801A is set to take off tomorrow at 6:35am PDT. Boeing will offer another live feed via their website and I will be there on Twitter as well.
Boeing employees huddle under the 787 Dreamliner to get out of the rain.
“Today we celebrate a significant moment in the history of flight,” said Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. “The 787 Dreamliner is the biggest innovation in commercial aviation since the Boeing 707 introduced the world to passenger jet travel more than 50 years ago. I want to thank ANA and all the employees of Boeing and our partner companies for the talent, technology and teamwork that have brought this game-changing airplane to life.”
During the ceremony, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh presented a ceremonial key to Shinichiro Ito, president and CEO of ANA.
“It’s not often that we have the chance to make history, do something big and bold that will change the world in untold ways and endure long after we are gone,” said Albaugh. “That’s what the 787 Dreamliner is and what ANA and Boeing have done together ’“ build what truly is the first new airplane of the 21st century.”
Be sure to check these too:
* MORE OF MY 787 DELIVERY PHOTOS
* Great roof shot of both aircraft from Boeing
* Gallery from the Seattle PI
This Boeing 787 will be celebrated today around the world.
Today is the day of the official Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivery ceremony. Be sure to catch it live via Boeing’s website and Twitter. The ceremony is only supposed to last until about 9:30am PDT, so do not miss it. The aircraft will be leaving Paine Field tomorrow morning at about 7am PDT. There will be no media on board the first flight, just ANA employees, but media will be present at the lift off (including myself).
The 787 delivery will be completed outside Boeing’s factory and let’s hope for good weather. Right now, the forecast is rain (I know, surprising right?), but either way, this event is happening.
As announced yesterday, the aircraft is already officially ANA’s. This event will celebrate this historic delivery and I am told there might be some “pulling” of the heart strings.
