Randy Baseler, Boeing Commercial Airplanes VP Marketing stated that airport congestion comes from large numbers of regional jets and small single-aisles, flying to destinations where a 550-seat Airbus A380 would be too large to reduce the number of departures, smaller airplanes can increase by 20% in size and airline hubs can be avoided with point-to-point transit. The emphasis on a smaller midsize twinjet rather than a large 747-size aircraft represented a shift from the hub-and-spoke theory toward the point-to-point theory, in response to analysis of focus groups. On January 29, 2003, Boeing announced an alternative product, the 7E7, using Sonic Cruiser technology in a more conventional configuration. The worst-affected airlines, those in the United States, had been considered the most likely customers of the Sonic Cruiser thus the Sonic Cruiser was officially canceled on December 20, 2002. The global airline market was disrupted by the 9/11 attacks and increased petroleum prices, making airlines more interested in efficiency than speed. Market interest for the 747X was tepid however, several major American airlines, including Continental Airlines, showed initial enthusiasm for the Sonic Cruiser, although concerns about the operating cost were also expressed. The 747X would have lengthened the 747-400 and improved efficiency, and the Sonic Cruiser would have achieved 15% higher speeds (approximately Mach 0.98) while burning fuel at the same rate as the 767.

Significant quality control issues from 2019 onwards caused a production slowdown and, from January 2021 until August 2022, an almost total cessation of deliveries.ĭue to ballooning production costs, Boeing has spent $32 billion on the program estimates for the number of aircraft sales needed to break even vary between 1,300 and 2,000.Īs of September 2023, the 787 program has booked a total of 1,833 orders and made 1,087 deliveries while recording zero fatalities and no hull losses.ĭuring the late 1990s, Boeing considered replacement aircraft programs due to slowing sales of the 767 and 747-400. In January 2013, the US FAA grounded all 787s until it approved the revised battery design in April 2013. The further stretched 787-10, 224 ft (68 m) long, seating 330 over 6,430 nmi (11,910 km 7,400 mi), entered service with Singapore Airlines on April 3, 2018.Įarly 787 operations encountered several problems caused mainly by its lithium-ion batteries, which culminated in fires onboard some aircraft. It is the first airliner with an airframe primarily made of composite materials and makes extensive use of electrical systems.Įxternally, it is recognizable by its four-window cockpit, raked wingtips, and noise-reducing chevrons on its engine nacelles.ĭevelopment and production rely increasingly on subcontractors around the world, with final assembly at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, after being assembled in the Boeing Everett Factory in Washington until March 2021. The twinjet is powered by General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 high-bypass turbofans. Type certification was received in August 2011 and the first 787-8 was delivered in September 2011 before entering commercial service on October 26, 2011, with ANA.Īt launch, Boeing targeted the 787 with 20% less fuel burn than replaced aircraft like the Boeing 767, carrying 200 to 300 passengers on point-to-point routes up to 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km 9,800 mi), a shift from hub-and-spoke travel. On July 8, 2007, a prototype 787 was rolled out without major operating systems, and then the aircraft experienced multiple delays until its maiden flight on December 15, 2009. The program was launched on April 26, 2004, with an order for 50 aircraft from All Nippon Airways (ANA), targeting a 2008 introduction. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body jet airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.Īfter dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, which focused largely on efficiency. October 26, 2011, with All Nippon Airways

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