The first 787 to enter service in 2011, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is so far the second most popular 787 variant, behind the longer -9. With the longest range among its 787 siblings, the -8 is the epitome of a long-and-skinny-route aircraft and was a key factor in further evolving the economics of modern air travel. So which airlines operate this long-distance aircraft? A newly inducted Boeing 787-8 series Dreamliner takes off from Begumpet airport at the India Aviation show in Hyderabad on March 16, 2012. Photo: Getty Images The second best seller
Looking at Boeing’s order book, we can see that a total of 1,882 Dreamliners have been ordered by airlines, governments , and private customers around the world. Here’s how the three models compare in terms of orders logged: 787-8: 661 (35.1%)
787-9: 1,009 (53.6%)
787-10: 202 (10.7%)
The aircraft entered service with Japanese carrier ANA in 2011 and has been ordered by airlines around the world – from Air Canada to Ethiopian Airlines to Jetstar Airways in Australia. The 787-8 was the very first Dreamliner to launch. While it has attracted hundreds of orders, it has been overshadowed by the longer -9. Photo: Altair78 via Wikimedia Commons The largest fleets
While the list of 787-8 operators is fairly long, the following airlines offer the largest fleets of the type, according to Planespotters.net . Air India: 27. With the airline soon to launch service from Delhi to Chicago and San Francisco , the airline’s 787-8 could be a strong candidate to operate the new services.
American Airlines: 23. The airline is still to put more 787s into service. The carrier took delivery of three so far this year, with the latest coming just this past October.
ANA (All Nippon Airways): 36. The launch customer and largest operator for the type, this Japanese carrier has flown the 787-8 to cities as far away as San Jose, Seattle, and Mexico City.
Ethiopian Airlines: 19. Historically, the carrier has flown the aircraft to far-flung destinations like Sao Paolo, Toronto, and Beijing.
Japan Airlines: 27. The airline also took delivery of a brand new 787-8 this year.
Qatar Airways: 30. The Middle Eastern carrier has flown its Dreamliners as far away as London and Perth and also as close as Dubai and Kuwait. The Boeing 787-8 has served Qatar Airways well – especially for the events of 2020. Photo: Getty Images […]