Aircraft

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Last approved July 27, 2026Revision ee7f9478

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long-range twin-engine wide-body family built extensively from carbon-fibre composite structures. It was designed to connect long thin routes with lower fuel use than earlier aircraft of similar capacity.[1]

Specifications

The principal family-level specifications are shown in the information panel. Values vary by variant, cabin, engine and operating rules; the linked manufacturer material is the controlling reference.

Development history

Boeing announced the 7E7 concept in 2003 and renamed it the 787. A globally distributed production system contributed to programme delays; first flight occurred in 2009 and ANA received the first delivery in 2011. The longer 787-9 and 787-10 followed.[1]

Variants

The 787-8 is the shortest and longest-ranged baseline model, the 787-9 adds capacity while retaining long range, and the 787-10 prioritises capacity on somewhat shorter sectors.

Current and former operators

Current operators include ANA, United, American, British Airways, Air Canada, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Qantas and Air New Zealand. Former operators include Norwegian and Jet Airways, whose aircraft moved to other carriers or lessors.

Engines

Customers may choose the General Electric GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000. Both use a common aircraft interface intended to ease engine interchangeability.

Orders and deliveries

The programme remains in production, and Boeing publishes monthly orders and deliveries by model. Those tables should be used instead of a frozen total.[2]

Accidents and incidents

Early service included lithium-ion battery events. The NTSB investigated a 2013 auxiliary-power-unit battery fire on a parked Japan Airlines 787 in Boston; regulators required battery-system modifications before operations resumed.[3]

Compare with

Direct primary sources

Sources

  1. Select products in Boeing history. Boeing. Accessed 7/27/2026Cited 2 times
  2. Boeing orders and deliveries. Boeing. Accessed 7/27/2026
  3. Japan Airlines 787 battery fire incident report. National Transportation Safety Board. Accessed 7/27/2026