The 787 Dreamliner is edging closer to delivery. Sporting the special livery of launch customer ANA , Boeing rolled the first aircraft destined for commercial service out of its paint hangar in Everett, Washington, on Saturday. Following delays of around two years, the mid-size airliner is expected to make its first passenger carrying flight - a special commemorative charter from Tokyo to Hong Kong - about a month after delivery to ANA in September.
The first ANA 787 will be set-up for short-haul international flights but will initially fly on the Haneda-Okayama and Haneda-Hiroshima routes while staff are undergoing training. On domestic routes it will carry 264 passengers while on short-haul international flights, the aircraft will have 222 seats (42 business, 180 economy) and the long-haul configuration will have 158 seats (46 business and 112 economy).
ANA has 55 Dreamliners on order, though only the first two get the special paint job.
"We intend to use the Dreamliner to expand our business, particularly our international routes," said Mitsuo Morimoto, Senior Executive Vice President of ANA.
Creature comforts that passengers can expect from the Dreamliner include widescreentouch panel LCD screens (a whopping 17-inch for long-haul business class passengers), a universal PC power source, a USB port, an iPod jack, 30 percent larger windows than the Boeing 767 (with electrochromic shades), more luggage space overhead, plus higher-humidity and lower altitude air pressure (equivalent to an altitude of 6000 feet in comparison to 8000 feet on previous aircraft).
Certification of the 787 is expected to be completed in coming weeks. "Our teams are making outstanding progress in completing the first airplane to be delivered and achieving certification of the 787," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program.
Here's the ANA walk-through of it's long-haul 787 cabin layout: