Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its first 787 from Boeing in a ceremony in Seattle.
The aircraft is expected to arrive in Doha tomorrow.
The airline has announced that the plane’s first flight will be to Dubai, and that it will begin flying to London’s Heathrow on December the 1st. It’s also expected to fly to Delhi and Zurich.
Qatar Airways’ 787s will be the first Dreamliners to have wifi installed on board.
The 787 cabin is pressurized at an altitude of 6,000 feet, 2000 feet lower than similar aircraft, which should make it a more comfortable experience for passengers. It also has bigger windows fitted with digital window tinting rather than blinds, and higher humidity in the cabin than is normal, too.
Its interior has 254 seats in two classes – 22 in Business and 232 in Economy.
Boeing has handed over three 787s to Qatar Airways, but only one is currently ready – the other two are still having modifications made to their in-flight entertainment systems in the USA.
Qatar has placed 30 firm Dreamliner orders and an option for 30 more.
The aircraft has an official price tag of $193.5 million, although the airline is likely to have negotiated a deal, given the size of their order.
The aircraft’s arrival is significantly delayed, having initially been promised in August.
Earlier this week, the airline posted this video on Facebook and YouTube, showing the manufacturing of the aircraft in just 3 minutes. Pretty cool!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmAHFcR1YTM]Are you excited about flying on the 787?
Credit: Photo courtesy of Rupa Haria at Aviation Week