Boeing (Chicago, IL, USA) has started final assembly of the 787-9 Dreamliner at its facility in North Charleston, SC, USA. The South Carolina team began joining large fuselage sections of the newest 787 during the week of Nov. 22, hitting an important milestone on schedule. These operations join those at Boeing's Everett, Washington facility, where the first 787-9 entered final assembly in May-June of 2013. The first South Carolina-built 787-9 will be delivered to United Airlines.
The 787-9 complements and extends the 787 family, offering airlines the ability to grow routes opened with the 787-8. With the fuselage stretched by 6m, the 787-9 can fly up to 40 more passengers an additional 830 km with the same exceptional environmental performance – 20% less fuel use and 20% fewer emissions – than the airplanes it replaces. The 787-9 leverages the visionary design of the 787-8, offering passenger-pleasing features such as large, dimmable windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, lower pressurization within the cabin, cleaner air and a smoother ride.