Just finished up recording a podcast with Addison Schonland and Scott Hamilton on industry goings-on, including the issue of fuel hedges for Southwest and the American Airlines order.
LISTEN NOW
NEW INFO: The first 787-9 for Air New Zealand will be the 88th Dreamliner out of the factory, which is currently set to be delivered in early 2012. By comparison, American Airlines will get their first 787-9 (if labor concessions are met) in September 2012. With this in mind, American should be getting one of the earlier 787-9s off the line.
UPDATE: Take a look at this video Boeing created for American!
LISTEN NOW
NEW INFO: The first 787-9 for Air New Zealand will be the 88th Dreamliner out of the factory, which is currently set to be delivered in early 2012. By comparison, American Airlines will get their first 787-9 (if labor concessions are met) in September 2012. With this in mind, American should be getting one of the earlier 787-9s off the line.
UPDATE: Take a look at this video Boeing created for American!
on October 17, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply
So how do they get that carbon fiber to be so aluminumesque?
on October 17, 2008 1:17 PM | Reply
Paul said : "So how do they get that carbon fiber to be so aluminumesque?"
Easy on animations.
On the real thing, it will have to be be made of paint as on plane models.
C.R. Smith will get unrest in his tomb.
on October 17, 2008 2:19 PM | Reply
Hey Jon......
Just wanted to ask, do you think AA will use some of the ordered 789's to replace the A306 in the Caribbean???? what aircraft will replace the A306 before the B789's are delivered???
Congratulations on this wonderful blog... and keep up the amazing work. This avid reader from the Dominican Republic follows your work every day
thanks and best regards
Rainier
on October 17, 2008 2:31 PM | Reply
The AA execs were asked about the paintjobs for the -9s and they said they'd leave it up to the engineering department to figure out. There's metallic paint, but I'd have to imagine that it might be quite heavy.
As for replacing the A300-600s to the Carribean and elsewhere. I would be that you'd see American put 737-800s on the route or 757-200s and take a small capacity hit in favor of higher loads. The 787-3 would probably be a good candidate for this job, but it's future is far too uncertain right now.
Thanks,
Jon
on October 19, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply
American has had to paint the composite tails of their Airbuses for years -- Aviation week said (decades ago, ok, I'm showing my age) that the color they selected was "Boeing Blue"