Boeing Announces 787 Dream Tour

EVERETT, Wash., Nov. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) soon will begin a six-month Dream Tour with its all-new 787 Dreamliner. Customers and partners around the world will experience the revolutionary technology and passenger innovation offered on the first new airplane of the 21st century.

 

"The 787 Dreamliner is a game-changing airplane and we're delighted to be able to bring this innovative product to our customers who will soon be receiving their own 787s," said Ray Conner, vice president of Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This airplane is now changing the way the world flies, and we want to share that excitement with as many people as we can."

 

The December schedule for the 787 Dream Tour includes six stops in Asia, Africa and the Middle East:

 

Dec. 4-11: China with stops in Beijing, Guangzhou and Haikou to visit customers, partners, and government officials including representatives from Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Air China, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) and Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Co. (CAC).

 

Dec. 11-16: Africa with stops in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Nairobi, Kenya to visit Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.

 

Dec. 16-19: Middle East stop in Doha to visit Qatar Airways.

 

Specific dates for the subsequent segments of the tour will be announced about one month prior to the events. Additional tour stops are being planned for January through April 2012 and will be detailed in future announcements.

 

Many of the stops will include opportunities for local media to tour the airplane and talk with Boeing executives and pilots.

 

Aviation enthusiasts can follow the progress of the 787 tour at www.newairplane.com. Videos, photos and reports from the tour stops as well as an inside look at the airplane, will be featured beginning with the first stop next week.

 

Dream Tour Airplane

 

The Dream Tour airplane, ZA003, has been retrofitted with special interior features designed to highlight the unique cabin features and performance capabilities of the Dreamliner. The flight test equipment on board ZA003, the third 787 to be built, has been removed and a stunning new interior has been installed. The airplane also has received a refreshed Boeing livery.

 

"Our flight test airplane has turned into a show piece," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. "Anyone who has seen the inside of a flight test airplane will be amazed at the transformation. All of the 787 passenger features are here."

 

Visitors will be greeted by the spacious signature 787 entryway sky light and gathering area. The LED lighting, standard on all 787s, will be demonstrated throughout the tour airplane. Visitors will experience the dynamic affect of this new technology to make meal time more enjoyable, sooth passengers during restful periods and gently wake them following a long flight.

 

Visitors also will find a luxurious business-class cabin with a dozen lay-flat seats, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section. A large open space between the two economy class sections allows Boeing to spotlight the features of the 787 with displays and demonstrations. The exterior of the airplane has been repainted in the standard Boeing livery.