High-Resolution Photo: United’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner comes out of the paint hangar. Photo from The Boeing Company.
At 5:00am this morning, United Airlines rolled out their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner from the paint hangar at Paine Field. It was a bit too early for this Airline Reporter, so I have had to take a look at photos, like everyone else.
The video of this morning’s event, should be available on Thursday. That should also be the day, I will get the opportunity to check out the interior of this beautiful plane and see it first-hand. I know many of you have been critical of the “new” United livery, but this looks dang good.
High-Resolution Photo: United’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner comes out of the paint hangar. Photo from The Boeing Company.
The interior cabin will use blues and grays, which are consistent with the airline’s newer aircraft today. The 787 will also debut a new in-flight entertainment system that according to United will offer, ’œmore intuitive browsing and more filtering options.’
To start preparations for the first 787 delivery, United has already installed a full-flight simulator at their Houston hub and has started training pilots, flight attendants and mechanics.
After United takes delivery of their first 787 in September, they will conduct a variety of tests before the aircraft enters service later in the fall. United is hoping to take delivery of five 787 Dreamliners before the end of 2012.
High-Resolution Photo: United’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner comes out of the paint hangar. Photo from The Boeing Company.
Stay tuned for Thursday, August 2nd. Starting at about 10am PT, United will be giving a tour of the interior of their 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field to invited guests and media. You better believe I am more than excited to be going. Be sure to follow along on my Twitter and Facebook.
Join in on the fun on Tues and then again on Thurs mornings. Image from United.
Tomorrow morning at 5:00am PT (yes, hecka early), United’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner will come out of the paint hangar, with its special livery. For those of you who will be awake at that time (it is still iffy if I will make it up that early), you can follow along with a live feed being provided by United Airlines.
On Thursday, media will be invited to check out the new interior of United’s Dreamliner and be sure to follow along on my Twitter and Facebook.
What United’s Boeing 737 MAX 9 will look like. Image from United.
Today in a joint press conference in Chicago, United Airlines has announced that they will order 100 Boeing 737 MAX 9 and 50 737-900ERs. The order is worth $14.7 billion.
’œThis order is a major step in building the world’s leading airline, and we look forward to offering our customers the modern features and reliability of new Boeing airplanes, while also making our fleet more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly,’ said Jeff Smisek, United’s President and CEO. ’œNew aircraft deliveries support our flexible fleet plan, permitting us to tailor future capacity up or down, based on changes in demand or other market conditions.’
This order is huge. Although United got rid of its last Boeing 737 before the recent merger with Continental, the new (post-merger) United has a large fleet of both Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s. The fact that they have operated both aircraft and have chosen the 737. United stated that they had intensive discussions with both Boeing and Airbus about which aircraft to go with and chose to go with the 737.
Since July 5th, Boeing has received 243 orders for the 737 MAX and NG (Next Generation), not counting the new order announced today. Over all, Boeing has more than 1200 orders and commitments from 18 customers for the MAX.
VIDEO: B-roll material of the United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9
GALLERY: United Airlines Boeing 737-900ER and 737 MAX 9
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United Airline’s special livery for their Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Image from United.
United Airlines has shown off a special livery that will be seen on their Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The swooping gold-line livery is inspired by the Dreamliner livery that Boeing designed and is United’s way of celebrating the two company’s long history together. The special livery will be seen on the entire United 787 fleet.
It is a slick looking livery, but a bit disappointing. I have been hoping from the beginning that United would do something special for their first 787. Although, I had a feeling that if they would do something special, it wouldn’t be radical, since the globe is a new brand for United and they wouldn’t want to cause more confusion about their brand.
The interior cabin will use blues and grays, which are consistent with the airline’s newer aircraft today. The 787 will also debut a new in-flight entertainment system that according to United will offer, “more intuitive browsing and more filtering options.”
To start preparations for the first 787 delivery, United has already installed a full-flight simulator at their Houston hub and has started training pilots, flight attendants and mechanics.
After United takes delivery of their first 787 in September, they will conduct a variety of tests before the aircraft enters service later in the fall. United is hoping to take delivery of five 787 Dreamliners before the end of 2012.
A front view of the special 787 livery for United. Image from United.
United’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner seen with a quick (and not real) livery for when President Obama visiting Paine Field. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren / NYCAviation.com.
Internal communications shows that United Airlines is expecting to take delivery of their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in September 2012.
United will become the first US airline to take delivery of the new aircraft.
The airline hasn’t been very specific on their expected timeline for their first Dreamliner — only publicly stating, “We expect the plane will enter revenue service in the second half of 2012. ”
Recently, they sent an internal communications to some employees that shows that United has a more detailed plan for their first 787. Over the summer, the newsletter explained that Boeing will complete the following tasks for their first 787:
Bring electrical power onto the airplane and begin to exercise the use of the electrical systems.
Install seats and other cabin amenities (the cabin will feature 36 United BusinessFirst flat-bed seats, 63 Economy Plus seats and 120 seats in Economy).
Paint the 787 in United livery.
Conduct a series of tests to prepare their 787 for delivery.
Yesterday, United posted this photo on their Facebook showing one of their two GEnx engines that were installed on their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Photo from United.
The document confirms their expectations for a fall delivery: “September, 2012: We expect to take delivery of our first 787. While the aircraft is expected to enter revenue service in 2012, we will first complete a variety of tests and training. This includes completing FAA conformity checks, which may require up to 100 flight hours of proving runs.”
Of course, dates of delivery are always flowing and it is very possible that United might receive their first 787 before or after September — so don’t get to attached to that month… yet.
UPDATE: I heard back from United and they stated, “We are still saying that we expect to take delivery of our first 787 in the second half of this year.” Knowing how 787 Dreamliner schedules have changed so much in the past few years, it is probably best to stick to that.
GALLERY OF UNITED’S FIRST BOEING 787 DREAMLINER:
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