On Board ANA's First 777-300ER
Boeing and All Nippon
Airways (ANA) marked two milestones this week, as ANA received its
first 777-300ER (Extended Range) and, with that airplane, became
the first Asia-based carrier with "Connexion by Boeing," the
aerospace manufacturer's high-speed mobile Internet service in its
fleet. ANA will launch its newest service on November 15th of this
year on the airplane's inaugural flight from Tokyo, Japan, to
Shanghai, China.
This delivery is the latest highlight of a milestone year for
Boeing and ANA. In April the companies launched the all-new Boeing
7E7 with ANA's 50-plane order, the largest launch order for any
Boeing jet.
"This new 777-300ER symbolizes a great relationship that spans
more than four decades," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice
President, Sales-Asia/Pacific Larry Dickenson. "It will expand this
important partnership to new horizons."
ANA is a 777-300ER
launch customer. As the newest member of the market-leading 777
family, the 777-300ER provides superior efficiency, economics and
passenger comfort. ANA's first 777-300ER carries 269 passengers --
eight in first class, 63 in business class, 24 in premium economy
class, and 174 in economy class. The airplane can fly up to 7,705
nautical miles (14,270 kilometers) on routes such as New York-Tokyo
and Tokyo-London.
"We firmly believe that the 777-300ER will provide our
passengers with the best comfort, reliability and safety, on our
long range, direct routes," said ANA President and CEO Yoji Ohashi.
"The low operating cost, renowned passenger approval, and the
revenue capability are among the primary reasons we selected this
great airplane."
The airplane delivered is ANA's 26th Boeing 777, and the first
of six 777-300ERs the Tokyo-based carrier will receive by the end
of 2007. It is also the second 777 ANA received in the past week,
following an earlier delivery of a 777-200.
Starting with this airplane, ANA is equipping its long-haul
fleet with the "Connexion by Boeing "service.
"ANA is positioning itself as a leader in passenger service by
providing the added value that mobile connectivity can bring to the
travel experience and to airline operations," said Scott Carson,
Connexion by Boeing president. "Real-time, affordable connectivity
continues to be one of the most frequently requested passenger
amenities in the airline industry and we are proud to help ANA
address that need."
The newest 777s -- the 777-300ER and 777-200LR (Longer Range) --
were launched in February 2000 to provide airlines additional
flexibility in serving the longest nonstop routes passengers
demand. Boeing has orders for 76 777-300ERs from nine customers.
Air France received the first in April.