British Airways has taken delivery of its first B787-9 Dreamliner.
The Boeing aircraft touched down at London Heathrow at 0850 this morning and, to mark the arrival, BA has released a time-lapse video of the B787-9 being built in Seattle.
It is the first of 22 B787-9s that the airline has on order and will join the eight B787-8s that have already been delivered. BA also has 12 B787-10s on order.
BA’s first B787-9 lands at London Heathrow
First class
There will be eight seats in first class, compared to the 14 fitted on other BA long-haul aircraft.
Each seat will include three new storage areas – a new ottoman next to the adjustable footstool; the personal suiter for jackets and coats is now accessible without having to leave the seat; and a new locker at eye-level for smaller items. A mirror has been fitted to the inside of the locker door.
The first BA B787-9 destination will be Delhi from October 25 (see news, July 13), followed by Abu Dhabi and Muscat from November 5 (see news, September 8), Kuala Lumpur from December and San Jose from May (see news, August 26).
The aircraft will be fitted with its next generation First cabin, making it the first European airline to install the top class on a Dreamliner. China Southern was the first worldwide to have first on the Dreamliner.
First class
First class
First class
BA’s current B787-8 is fitted with three cabins — Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller. Its B787-9, which is slightly larger and can fly longer sectors, will with the addition of First have a four-class configuration.
A new IFE handset, which BA said is “much like a smartphone”, will allow passengers to watch one item on the handset itself and another on the 23-inch screen.
Lastly, the smart “jog-dial” still controls the seat’s recline, but now also manages five further functions including the headrest and lighting control.
