In 2011, Boeing delivered the first 787 Dreamliner to its launch customer and the aircraft entered into service. The 787 family reduces fuel use and CO2 emissions by 20-30% and has a 60% smaller noise footprint than the models they replace.
Because of its fuel efficiency, the 787 can fly further than its predecessors and has opened more than 50 new non-stop routes around the world.
What is truly innovative about the Dreamliner is the way it is constructed. New, lightweight composite materials make up half of the 787's primary structure, including the fuselage and wing. The aircraft’s wing design and construction enable speed and fuel efficiency.
The 787 is also the first commercial widebody aircraft with a fuselage made of large one-piece barrel sections made from carbon composite material. This advanced approach eliminated 1,500 aluminium sheets and 40,000-50,000 fasteners per section, which makes the plane much lighter, more aerodynamically efficient and therefore more fuel efficient.
The 787 is powered by new, more fuel efficient models of jet engines produced by General Electric and Rolls-Royce.