United cheers on Dreamliner as it lands at Bush

United Airlines' first Boeing 787 Dreamliner touches down Friday at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. United Airlines' first Boeing 787 Dreamliner touches down Friday at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Photo: Karen Warren Photo: Karen Warren Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close United cheers on Dreamliner as it lands at Bush 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

United Airlines employees looking for something to cheer about found it Friday afternoon in a brand new jet called the Dreamliner.

Dozens of them gathered on the tarmac outside Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal D to celebrate as the highly touted Boeing 787 touched down just ahead of a pouring rain. They marveled at the much-anticipated aircraft, their employer's newest.

"Welcome to the Starship Enterprise," Capt. Dave Lundy told a group of pilots, flight attendants, ramp and maintenance workers and other employees after taxiing the plane to a hangar and descending a set of stairs to a round of applause.

Lundy was one of two Houston-based pilots who flew United's first Dreamliner - a midsize wide-body touted for its fuel-efficiency, comfort and quiet - from Boeing Field in Seattle. On board was a support staff of 20 that will help prepare the plane for commercial flying.

Lundy hailed the Dreamliner as the "most sophisticated, technologically advanced airplane there is."

"I think it's going to set the standard for several decades," he said.

Co-pilot Capt. Niels Olufsen called the plane a "huge benefit to the airline and the United system." It will mean, he said, "more routes to interesting places all over the world."

Lundy said 23 United pilots have trained so far to fly the 787, using a flight simulator near Bush Intercontinental.

Month of test flights

The Dreamliner will undergo noncommercial test flights for about a month before boarding its first passengers. The inaugural commercial flight from Bush Intercontinental to Chicago O'Hare International Airport is scheduled to depart Nov. 4 at 7:25 a.m.

The first international flight will be in December.

United, which took delivery of the aircraft a week ago after years of production delays, will be the first North American carrier to receive and fly Boeing's latest line of jet.

The plane's arrival was positive news for the United workers in a year that has included a series of technical glitches, a spike in customer complaints and disappointing financial results at the Chicago-based airline that became the world's largest after its merger with Houston's Continental.

The Dreamliner that landed Friday is the first of five that United is scheduled to receive by year's end out of a total order of 50.

The 219-seat aircraft, praised by airlines for its fuel efficiency and by fliers for its amenities, is designed to fly long-haul routes. But United Continental Holdings announced last month that it will fly its first batch of 787s domestically for a period of weeks before placing them on international routes.

Cleaner air

Boeing says the 787 uses 20 percent less fuel than similar-size aircraft. It is also supposed to be 60 percent quieter, produce fewer emissions, and have an enhanced ventilation system that produces cleaner air and better cabin pressurization, which is supposed to help ease headaches and jet lag. It also has larger overhead bins and windows, wider aisles and a higher ceiling.

The aircraft has lower seating capacity than other long-haul jets, making it easier for the airline to fill seats and run profitable flights. The cabin seats 36 in first class, 72 in economy plus and 111 in economy.

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