Boeing flies 787-9 to Auckland
Boeing has flown the 787-9 Dreamliner to Auckland, home of launch customer Air New Zealand, marking the 787-9’s international debut and longest flight since the test programme began.
The second of three 787-9s dedicated to the flight-test program, ZB002 flew direct from Seattle’s Boeing Field to Auckland International Airport in early January. The flight lasted 13 hours, 49 minutes, with the aircraft going onto Alice Springs, Australia, for hot weather testing.
Boeing says it is on track to deliver the 787-9 to launch customer Air New Zealand in mid-2014. Twenty-six customers from around the world have ordered 402 787-9s, accounting for 39 percent of all 787 orders.
Boeing set a company record in 2013 for the most commercial airplanes delivered in a single year with 648. The company’s unfilled commercial orders stood at 5,080 at the end of the year – also a new Boeing record.
Boeing also booked 1,531 gross commercial orders in 2013, a new company record and 1,355 net commercial orders in 2013, the second-largest number in company history.