United States of America

Description:

Long-range commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Two 71,000 lbst Rolls Royce Trent 1000 turbofans

Specifications:

History:

The Model 787-9 was the first variant of the very successful Boeing 787 series with a “stretched” or lengthened fuselage, the length being an extra 6.09 m (20 ft) increase to 62.81 m (206 ft 1 in). It was able to seat 250–290 passengers in three classes with a range of 14,800 km to 15,750 km (9,197 to 9,787 miles). This variant differed from the Model 787-8 in several ways, including structural strengthening, a lengthened fuselage, a higher fuel capacity and a higher maximum take-off weight (MTOW), but with the same wingspan as the Model 787-8.

The entry into service (EIS) date was initially set for 2010 but, because of problems associated with production, etc, in October 2011 deliveries were scheduled to begin in early 2014.

The Model 787-9 was designed to compete with both passenger variants of the Airbus A330 series, the A330-200 and A330-300, and to replace its own Boeing 767-400ER series. As with the Model 787-8, it could also open up new non-stop routes. The Company set in place the final configuration on 1 July, 2010.

When launched, the Model 787-9 had the same fuel capacity as the Model 787-8, the main design differences relating to higher weight, resulting in a slightly shorter range than the Model 787-8. However, after further input from interested airlines, design changes were incorporated to add a further forward fuel tank to increase fuel capacity, so it had a longer range and a higher maximum take-off weight than the Model 787-8.

The prototype Model 787-9 (c/n ZB001) made its first flight from Paine Field in Seattle, Washington on September 17, 2013, the launch customer for the new model being Air New Zealand, and plans were put in place for delivery of the first Air New Zealand aircraft in July 2014. The first scheduled commercial flight was from Auckland, NZ to Perth, WA on 15 October 2014.

During testing the second prototype N789FT (c/n ZB002) was flown non-stop from Seattle to Auckland in just under 14 hours and thereafter flew to Australia where it underwent extensive heat testing when visiting Alice Springs, NT.

After nine months of testing US and European certification was granted on 13 June 2014 and at that time 40 per cent of all Boeing 787 orders were for the Model 787-9, with 413 orders received. Certification also cleared the Model 787-9 immediately for ETOPS (extended operations) flights up to 330 minutes away from a diversion airfield. The approval of extended ETOPS formed the final element of the FAA certification process, notification of which came on June 13. The Model 787-8 entered service with 180 minutes ETOPS and was only cleared by FAA and EASA for full 330 minutes in May 2014.

First aircraft for Air New Zealand became ZK-NZE (c/n 34334 – ex N1012N) and made its first flight at Everett Field, Seattle on 28 May 2014, being placed on the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register on 1 July 2014. The type was be operated on the Auckland to Perth, Shanghai in China and Tokyo in Japan routes, the aircraft being configured for 280 passengers. Further deliveries were subsequently made and, with the success of the type in service, Air New Zealand placed an order for a further two examples.

In late 2017 Air New Zealand grounded and temporarily mothballed three of its aircraft (ZK-NZD², ZK-NZE² and ZK-NZH²) due to engine problems. On 6 March 2018 ZK-NZD² was test flown with replacement engines and, over the following few weeks, the other two aircraft were flown with new engines and returned to service.

Qantas ordered eight Model 787-9s in 2016 to be powered by General Electric GENx-1B turbofan engines, with first deliveries to commence in October 2017, at the same time the company indicating it was obtaining a Model 787-9 simulator to be installed at its Mascot, NSW base.

The first Qantas 787-9 became VH-ZNA (c/n 39038- ‘Great Southern Land’) on 4 October 2017; followed by VH-ZNB (c/n 39039 – ‘Waltzing Matilda’) registered on 13 November 2017; and VH-ZNC (c/n 39040 – ‘Quokka’) registered on 20 December 2017, this type beginning non-stop services from Australia to Europe during March 2018. The fourth aircraft became VH-ZND (c/n 63390 – ex N1006F – ‘Emily Kame Kngwarraye’) on 8 February 2018, being flown non-stop from Boeing’s Everett Field to Alice Springs, arriving on 2 March 2018.

In early May 2018 Qantas ordered a further six Model 787-9s, bringing its total fleet to 14, stating at the time that it was withdrawing its Boeing 747 series during 2020.

In later times Qantas has expressed an interest in developing long distance flights without stops and to this end, on 25 March 2018, Boeing 787-9 VH-ZND with 229 passengers and crew, flew non-stop from Perth to London’s Heathrow airport, a distance of 14,628 km (9,089 miles).   This was followed on 21 October 2019 by VH-ZNI ‘Kookaburra’ , as Flight 7879 making a non-stop 19 hours 16 minutes flight from New York to Sydney as a test towards flights being made as a regular feature in later years, the aircraft taking off with 126,000 litres (27,716 Imp gals) of fuel, distance covered being 15,200 km (9,445 miles).