Boeing Delivers United’s First 787-9

United aircraft at LAX

United Airlines announced that it took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.  The carrier is the first North American airline to take delivery of the high-tech aircraft.

The plane is the first of 26 787-9s that the carrier has on order.

United will configure its 787-9 with 252 seats.  Forty-eight will be in United BusinessFirst, and 204 will be in economy, including 88 Economy Plus, the airline’s premium economy lite section.  United’s 787-9s will also offer in-flight Internet access, and the airline currently has over 300 planes with in-flight Internet access in the air.

The 787-9 Dreamliner belongs to Boeing’s 787 family of aircraft, which also includes the 787-8 and the 787-10 models. The 787-9 Dreamliner is 20 feet (6 meters) longer than the original 787-8 version, is capable of accommodating up to 20% more passengers, and has a larger cargo capacity. The 787-9 consumes 8% less fuel per seat than the smaller model, and also has a greater range.

United will operate the aircraft between Houston and Los Angeles, before deploying it on its Los Angeles-Melbourne route on October 26.  The service will be the longest Dreamliner-operated route in the world.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)