The aircraft, a 787-8, is the first of 42 Dreamliners the airline ordered in February of 2013. The order includes 16 of the 787-8 and 26 of the larger 787-9.
According to a story in the American Airlines employee newsletter, the first 787 will fly domestic routes for several weeks before being assigned to international flights. The publication did not specify the international routes the plane would fly.
A senior engineer in the airline’s maintenance group at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport noted what it took for the group to prepare for the new airplane:
Every aspect of the 787 is different and will require a fresh, innovative approach to maintain and fly. This aircraft requires an extensive amount of specialized tooling for its operation and maintenance. Our initial budget for start-up tooling was in excess of $20 million.
At the end of December, Boeing had taken 1,071 total orders for all models of the 787 and had delivered 228. United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UAL) has ordered 65 Dreamliners, including 27 of the 787-10, the largest of the family. United currently has 14 Dreamliners in its fleet, including 12 787-8s and two 787-9s. Delta Air Lines Co. (NYSE: DAL) has ordered 18 787-8s, but has not taken delivery of any yet.
Boeing’s shares traded down about 0.2% Friday morning, at $135.36 in a 52-week range of $116.32 to $140.47. The company is scheduled to report fourth-quarter results next Wednesday.
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