Boeing unveils latest Dreamliner, the bigger 787-9

Bart Jansen | USA TODAY

Boeing on Saturday unveiled the latest version of its Dreamliner -- the 787-9 -- and expects the first flight later this summer.

The plane is 20 feet longer and will carry 40 more passengers and fly an additional 300 miles as compared to the current 787-8 model of the Dreamliner. The 787-8 carries 210 to 250 passengers, while the 787-9 will carry 250 to 290.

Aside from its The carbon-composite design, the plane is touted for its fuel efficiency and emissions levels, which Boeing claims are 20% less than on similarly sized planes. Boeing promotes the aircraft's passenger enhancements, which include large, dimmable windows, roomy overhead bins and a smoother ride.

With the second and third versions of the plane in final assembly, Boeing expects the first delivery of a 787-9 to Air New Zealand in mid-2014.

"Production remains on track to support the first scheduled customer deliver next year," Boeing CEO Jim McNerney had said of the 787-9, during a second-quarter earnings call.