Boeing has established two world records with the 787 Dreamliner, setting new marks for both speed and distance for the airplane’s weight class.
“Speed and distance capabilities are fundamental to the value the 787 brings to the market,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “These records are a great way to demonstrate that this airplane is the game-changer we have promised.”
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is the first airplane to provide both long distance capabilities with mid-size capacity (210-250 passengers in a three-class seating), allowing airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public. The airplane is 20 percent more fuel efficient than similarly sized airplanes.
The sixth 787, ZA006, powered by General Electric GEnx engines, departed from Boeing Field in Seattle at 11:02 a.m. on Dec. 6 and set the distance record for its class with a 19,835 km flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh. This record had previously been held by the Airbus A330 based on a 16,903 km flight in 2002.
Following an approximately two-hour stop for refueling in Dhaka, the airplane returned to Seattle on a 9,734 nmi flight. The airplane landed at 5:29 a.m. on Dec. 8, setting a new record for speed around the world (eastbound) with a total trip time of 42 hours and 27 minutes. There was no previous around-the-world speed record for this weight class.
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