Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Hainan Airlines today celebrated the delivery of the carrier’s first 787-9 Dreamliner. Hainan becomes China’s first operator of both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants of the Dreamliner family.
Hainan Airlines, the largest privately owned airline in China, leased the airplane through an agreement with Air Lease Corporation (ALC). The delivery is also the first 787-9 Dreamliner to ALC, which has 15 additional 787-9s on order.
“The 787-9 Dreamliner will be a great addition to our long-haul fleet,” said Mou Weingang, Vice Chairman, Hainan Airlines. “The 787-9’s super efficiency, capability and in-flight experience will accelerate our market position internationally.”
As the largest 787 operator in China, Hainan Airlines already has 10 787-8s in service and plans to deploy its first 787-9 Dreamliner on a new route from Beijing to Las Vegas beginning in September.
“We are honored to celebrate this milestone delivery with both ALC and Hainan Airlines,” said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing Commercial Airplanes senior vice president of Northeast Asia Sales. “The 787-9 will complement Hainan Airlines’ existing 787-8 fleet, enabling the airline to open up new nonstop services for continuous global expansion.”
The 787-9 complements and extends the 787 family. With the fuselage stretched by 20 feet (6 meters) over the 787-8, the 787-9 will fly over 40 more passengers an additional 280 nautical miles (520 kilometers) with the same exceptional environmental performance – 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than the airplanes it replaces.
The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering passenger-pleasing features such as large windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.
Hainan Airlines, headquartered in Haikou, is one of only seven airlines, and the first in China, to be rated as a five-star airline by Skytrax, which surveys international travelers to rate and review airlines and airports. Boeing airplanes make up more than 85 percent of Hainan’s current fleet, which serves 500 domestic and international routes.
