Sunday marked the first U.S. passenger flight for Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, with Japan Airlines flying non-stop between Tokyo and Boston. The airline is the second to receive the efficient new composite airliner after fellow Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways. But JAL is the first to fly the Dreamliner to a U.S. city. The flight also marks Boston's first non-stop service to Asia and the 787's first transpacific flight.

The 787 is the first airliner built with a composite fuselage. The use of composites, including the sleek wing which flexes upwards during flight, together with efficient new engines and improved design puts the Dreamliner at the forefront of the growing trend towards fuel efficiency in aircraft development. Smaller than Boeing's 777, the 787 is designed to use its efficiency to open new routes for airlines where the reduced fuel costs help justify pairing together cities that previously haven't been connected by non-stop flights.

But the route to service for Boeing's new airplane has not been easy. Manufacturing of the airplane's various sections took place around the world and led to several setbacks. The airplane began passenger service in Japan last fall, and its first flights to Europe in January were years behind schedule. The problems of producing a new airliner aren't unique to Boeing. European rival Airbus faced delays with its superjumbo A380, and the company's new 787 competitor – the composite A350 XWB – has also faced delays as it prepares for its first test flight later this year.

The Tokyo-Boston route is an example of the route Boeing had in mind when it decided to build the 787. Instead of deciding to manufacturer a much larger airplane to compete with the A380, which relies more on a hub and spoke system of airports, Boeing wanted to focus on efficiency that could link more cities together with non-stop service in a smaller airplane.

The 12- to 13-hour flight for Japan Airlines to Boston fills a void that airlines were not able to justify with a bigger aircraft. Boeing has delivered nine of the Dreamliners so far with more than 850 currently on order. All of the 787s flying at this point have been produced at the company's factory north of Seattle, but this Friday Boeing will roll out its first 787 produced at its new South Carolina factory. The company will continue production at both facilities.