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The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner that is to be delivered to All Nippon Airways was rolled out of the paint hangar at Boeing’s facility in Everett. ANA will be first airline to offer flights on the Dreamliner. New European routes also hinted by the airline.
All Nippon Airways is all set to become the first airline with Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its fleet. After developmental delays of almost three years, the first 787 is due for delivery to the Japanese flag carrier next month.
On Monday, the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner for All Nippon Airways rolled out of the paint hangar at Boeing’s facility in Everett, close to Seattle in the United States.
To celebrate the event, the aircraft was painted in bespoke white and blue colours, signifying Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner brand and ANA’s service goals. UK carriers, Thomson Airways and British Airways are among other international airlines that have placed orders for the 787 Dreamliner.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be configured by All Nippon Airways for use on short-haul international flights. However, to smooth the progress of staff training the aircraft will be deployed on domestic routes in the beginning.
On domestic routes, the aircraft will feature 12 Premium Class seats and 252 standard class seats. On long-haul international flights, Boeing 787 Dreamliner will have a total of 158 seats, including 46 Business Class seats and 112 Economy Class seats. On short-haul international flights, the Dreamliner will have 222 seats that will include 42 Business Class seats and 180 Economy Class seats. Travellers who seek cheap air tickets on flights will have more options once the Boeing 787 spreads its wings.
All Nippon Airways will fly the commemorative first commercial flight as a charter service from the Narita International Airport, Tokyo to Hong Kong. The 787 Dreamliner will then operate scheduled air travel services on the Haneda-Okayama and Haneda-Hiroshima routes.
Mitsuo Morimoto, Senior Executive Vice President of ANA was present at the aircraft roll out in Seattle. Mitsuo Morimoto is also handling the airline’s Operations & Airport Services, Corporate Safety and Audit.
Mr. Morimoto was quoted in the company’s press release as stating: “We intend to use the Dreamliner to expand our business, particularly our international routes. We are aiming to increase our revenues from international operations significantly and the 787 will play an instrumental role in this.” Mr. Morimoto also emphasised on the airline’s focus on customer satisfaction. He remarked, “We want to be number one in Asia, not just in passengers and revenues, but also in terms of quality, customer satisfaction and value creation. Becoming the 787’s launch customer was a strategic management decision designed to help us reach that goal.”
All Nippon Airways Hints At New European Routes
With the airline set to receive the first Boeing 787 in September, All Nippon Airways may augment its operations by adding as many as three European routes. In an interview conducted in Tokyo on August 1st, President and CEO of ANA, Shinichiro Ito remarked, “The 787 presents us with a big opportunity.” He hinted at the possibility of the carrier starting Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights to Europe from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in February. However, Mr. Shinichiro Ito refused to elaborate on the likely destinations.
Boeing 787 indeed offers ANA an opportunity to expand its operations in Europe and North America as 787 Dreamliners are approximately 20 percent more fuel efficient than planes of a similar size and can cover a longer journey. International travellers who look for cheap flight tickets will surely have better alternatives if and when ANA begins its new European services.
Tokyo-based All Nippon Airways started its operations to Munich last year, which was its fourth destination in Europe after London, Paris and Frankfurt. The carrier is also due to initiate a venture on the European routes with Deutsche Lufthansa AG in October.