“We started this effort after airlines sent Boeing a clear message: they wanted greater flexibility,” said John Murphy, 787 chief project engineer. “Some wanted the 787-10 to fly longer missions; others wanted the 787-9 to carry additional payload with range trade-offs. Boeing designed a solution that delivers both.”
Air New Zealand, the 787-9 launch customer, will be among the first operators to use the iMTOW capability.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see our first 787-9 with the increased maximum takeoff weight completing assembly and preparing for its final inspections and flight tests,” said Baden Smith, Air New Zealand general manager of Strategy, Networks and Fleet. “This upgrade gives us greater ability to carry additional payload on our ultra long-haul routes – an important enabler for our network ambitions, supporting trade, tourism and better connectivity for New Zealand. We’re looking forward to bringing this new airplane into our fleet.”
The 787 family already provides up to 25% better fuel efficiency than the airplanes it typically replaces. The increased takeoff weight preserves that efficiency while adding performance.
- 787-9: Roughly 10,000-pound (4,540-kilogram) increase enables about three metric tons of extra payload, or more than 300 nautical miles (560 kilometers) of additional range.
- 787-10: Roughly 14,000-pound (6,350-kilogram) increase enables about five metric tons of extra payload, or more than 400 nautical miles (740 kilometers) of additional range.
(WY di un altro Golfo a dire il vero ma non si è detto quale purché mediorientale, altrimenti c'è anche quello di Sorrento)
