What is Boeing 787 - 8 Dreamliner?
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The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a wide-body, long-haul commercial aircraft developed by the Boeing Commercial Airplanes division. It's part of the 787 Dreamliner series, which includes 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 variants.
- First flight: December 15, 2009
- Entered service: October 2011 with All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Capacity: Typically 242 passengers (2-class configuration)
- Range: ~13,620 km (ideal for ultra-long-haul routes)
Indian Operators
- Air India was the first Indian carrier to induct the 787-8 in 2012.
- As of now, Air India, Vistara, and Air India Express (in merger transition) operate Dreamliners on long-haul and premium international routes such as:
- Delhi–London
- Mumbai–Newark
- Chennai–Frankfurt
Safety Record and Issues
The 787 Dreamliner has a good overall safety record, but some notable issues have emerged:
Battery Fires (2013)
- Lithium-ion batteries caught fire on two aircraft.
- Resulted in a 3-month global grounding
- Boeing redesigned battery containment and cooling systems.
Technical Alerts
- In-service issues like fuel leaks, electrical panel malfunctions, engine icing, and structural paint peeling have occurred.
- Several safety bulletins issued by FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), though no fatal crashes have been reported.
