Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner completed its first commercial flight Wednesday after more than three years of delays, with operator All Nippon Airways Co. touting the increased comfort for passengers from the wider cabin and bigger windows.
Flight NH7871, carrying paying passengers and more than 40 journalists, took off from Tokyo's Narita airport at 12:45 p.m. before touching down in Hong Kong about 4½ hours later. The 264-seat aircraft will return to Japan on Thursday.
Tokyo-based ANA sold two business-class seats on the Dreamliner for about $18,600 in a charity auction to help promote the introduction of the first aircraft built largely from carbon fiber reinforced materials. The new lightweight technology will reduce fuel costs, while enabling a design that boosts passenger comfort, including 30 percent bigger windows and higher cabin pressure.