Hainan Airlines receives first Dreamliner
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Hainan Airlines took delivery of its first ever Boeing 787 Dreamliner today (4 July 2013).
The carrier, which has ordered 10 of the fuel-efficient wide-body jets, becomes the second mainland Chinese airline to receive the Dreamliner, after China Southern Airlines took delivery of its first B787 late last month. It will now put the aircraft into service in key domestic routes, before deploying it on trans-Pacific services to the US in the coming months.
“Today is a great day for Hainan Airlines as the most technologically advanced and fuel-efficient airplane in the world joins our fleet,” said Mu Weigang, vice chairman of Hainan Airlines. “The 787 will allow Hainan Airlines to open new routes from Beijing to North America and provide our unique ‘eastern-style’ five-star in-flight experience for global passengers.”
Hainan Airlines’ B787 Dreamliner will be configured with 213 seats in two classes. The business class cabin will feature 36 flat-bed seats in a 2-2-2 layout, while the economy cabin will carry 177 passengers in a 3-3-3 configuration. All seats will come with in-flight entertainment, power outlets and USB ports.
Hainan Airlines will initially operate the Dreamliner on the domestic route from Beijing to Haikou, in the southern island province of Hainan. It will then deploy the aircraft on the Beijing-Seattle, Beijing-Toronto and Beijing-Chicago routes, with several new destinations expected to follow as Hainan takes delivery of more Dreamliners.
Hainan Airlines becomes the 13th global airline to take delivery of a B787. Boeing has now delivered 67 out of a total order book of 930 Dreamliners.
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