Boeing's brand−new 787 Dreamliner on Sunday made its debut flight to Boston Logan International Airport as part of its worldwide promotional Dream Tour.
On April 22, Japan Airlines will start the first commercial service in the United States using the Dreamliner with a nonstop flight from Boston to Tokyo. The flight will be the first−ever direct service between Boston and Asia, while Japan Airlines will be the first carrier to operate the 787 in the U.S., Japan Airlines Senior Vice President for the Americas HiroyukiHioka said in a press briefing.
Edward Freni, director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority, said in a press briefing that the service will begin on a limited schedule but will operate daily beginning in June.
With larger, electronically dimmed windows and dynamic mood lighting, the 787 is different from most other airplanes. Workers built the Dreamliner largely from carbon fiber−reinforced plastic, which, along with new engines, makes the aircraft lighter and more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly, according to Boeing. The company says that the 787 variant that Japan Airlines will use on its Boston service can carry up to 250 passengers for 8200 nautical miles while burning 20 percent less fuel than similar−sized aircraft.
The aircraft offers a "smooth ride" and "good passenger experience," Boeing Chief Model Pilot Randy Neville, who flew the aircraft into Logan, said in a press briefing.
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