Dreamliner to land at IGI airport today

PTI

New Delhi, 13 July 2011: The first ultra long haul passenger jet with a capacity to fly non-stop up to 16,000 km will land at the IGI airport in New Delhi on Wednesday. Coming in from Seattle via Tokyo, the 787 Dreamliner plane of the US aircraft maker Boeing, would arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday at 10:30 am, airport sources said.

 

It would then fly to Mumbai the next day and from there to its base in Seattle. After Japanese airline All Nippon Airways, which is the launch customer and has ordered 50 787’s, Air India is the second customer in the world to receive the modern passenger jet in the fourth quarter of the year.

 

Air India has ordered 27 aircraft which is being claimed as the most advanced in the world. The ailing national carrier will also get its first-demo trials on the aircraft.

 

 

One of the lightest planes to have taken to the skies, the Dreamliner is made of carbon fibre and composite materials. Its newly developed engine and advanced flight technologies make it highly fuel-efficient. The plane can fly up to 16,000 km non-stop.

 

While B 787-8 Dreamliner can carry 210-250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 km), the B 787-9 version can carry 250-290 people to places 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 km) away.

 

Boeing is already behind schedule by over three years from its first delivery date to Air India. Also Jet Airways has ordered for 10 passenger jet.

 

Both Air India and Jet Airways have placed orders for the B 787-8 version, which would enable them to mount direct non-stop flights to North America or Australia.