A year later, Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) was the first to order 50 jets, with deliveries slated to start in 2008. Delays, however, plagued production (not uncommon for most new types of jet, such as the Airbus A380). The first Dreamliner was delivered in 2011.
The first commercial flight, from Tokyo to Hong Kong, was on Oct 26, 2011. One passenger even paid US$34,000 to secure a seat on the historic flight.
The 787 has now flown for over 14 years, safely transporting over 875 million passengers as of April 2024 according to Boeing. Still, it had its share of concerns and complaints.
One of ANA’s 787 jets suffered electrical system issues in 2013, arising out of the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries which caused a fire. A Japan Airlines (JAL) 787 also suffered a fire while parked in Boston, prompting the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to order the grounding of the entire Dreamliner fleet.
Boeing also halted Dreamliner deliveries in 2021 due to concerns about production flaws and inspection methods, and again in 2023 for additional fuselage testing. An FAA audit after the January 2024 Alaska Airline’s mid-air blowout found production issues while a separate FAA report raised concerns about Boeing’s safety culture, amid whistleblowers coming forward.
