Boeing expects to begin delivering upgraded 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliners to airlines in the first half of this year, which would enable longer flights or greater cargo capacity, a senior executive said Wednesday.
Image for representation (REUTERS)Improving the maximum takeoff weight of wide-body planes will allow airlines to fly another 400 miles (643 km), or five to six tons of extra cargo, said Darren Hulst, Boeing’s vice president of commercial marketing. “These aircraft are already in production, moving towards certification, and we expect delivery of these aircraft in the first half of this year,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow.
Hulst also said the planemaker expected the larger 777X to be certified in the second half of the year, though it may not enter service until next year.
“When we think about the difference between certification and entry into service, it really depends on our customers when they take delivery of the aircraft and the processes and steps they have to go through between certification and ultimately revenue service for that aircraft,” he said. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Boeing planned the first flight of a production 777X in April, an important sign of progress on the long-delayed new jet.
