Travel Day: NRT-HKG - World's First 787 Flight

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\nTravel Day: NRT-HKG - World's First 787 Flight, originally uploaded by flightblogger.\n

\nTOKYO -- I've done what feels like dozens of these travel day posts over the last four years, but needless to say, this one is different. This is JA801A, Airplane Eight, ZA101, and today by a different name: All Nippon Flight 7871. It will be a four-and-a-half hour flight aboard this month-old Boeing 787-881 Dreamliner to Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong, filled to capacity with 264 aboard. I'm in seat 12C with a view of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries wing made southwest of here in Nagoya and joined to the Fuji Heavy Industries center wing box by Boeing in Everett, Washington for final assembly. Today, the Dreamliner begins its service life.\n