Carrier To Become The First In China To Operate 787-8 And 787-9 Variants

Boeing and Hainan Airlines this week 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 over the 787-8, the 787-9 will fly over 40 more passengers an additional 280 nautical miles with the same exceptional environmental performance – 20 percent less fuel use and 20 percent fewer emissions than the airplanes it replaces.

(Image provided with Boeing news release)

FMI: www.boeing.com