Boeing 787 – into the 21st century with the Dreamliner

Boeing’s “plastic plane,” as it was jokingly called, marked a milestone in the development of modern passenger jets. For the first time, the fuselage of a commercial aircraft wasn’t made primarily of aluminum, but rather of a composite material consisting of carbon fiber and resin. The result was a structure that is both lightweight and highly durable. This new design not only reduced fuel consumption, but also led to improvements in passenger comfort: lower cabin pressure, larger windows, and higher humidity on board.

Having more humidity in the cabin air makes a noticeable difference for many passengers, especially on long-haul flights. But that wasn’t the only innovation the 787, marketed under the name “Dreamliner,” had to offer: It was the first aircraft where the windows at every seat could be dimmed electronically. This lets travelers reduce the amount of light coming in while still being able to look outside. The LED cabin lighting, which allows for different lighting moods, was also ahead of its time. Even the toilet has an unusual technical feature: When a sensor is triggered, a mechanical arm comes out and closes the lid within five seconds before the flush is activated; the idea is that this reduces noise.

The success of the 787 increased the pressure on Airbus to follow suit with a comparable aircraft. With the A350, the European manufacturer finally brought a cutting-edge long-haul jet to market as well. Despite significant delays and numerous setbacks, the 787 ultimately became the game-changer that Boeing had touted the program to be from the very beginning. Today, it encompasses an entire family of aircraft and is one of the most successful long-haul aircraft of its generation.

Boeing 787 – Facts, figures, dates

• About 80 percent of the Dreamliner’s volume consists of composite materials. In terms of weight, composites account for about 50 percent, aluminum for 20 percent, titanium for 15 percent, steel for 10 percent, and other materials for 5 percent. By comparison, composite materials account for just 12 percent of the weight of a Boeing 777.

• As a relatively small widebody aircraft with a long range, the 787 helped establish a new trend: Airlines were able to operate nonstop flights on intercontinental routes between secondary destinations, rather than routing passengers through major hubs. Examples included routes from Copenhagen to Oakland, California, and from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

• In 2018, Qantas launched its first nonstop service between Australia and London using the Boeing 787-9. The route from Perth to London is about 14,500 kilometers long and takes about 17 hours when heading north. The 787-9 also serves the slightly shorter route from Perth to Paris.

• The Boeing 787 family currently comprises three versions: the 787-8 as the basic model, the larger 787-9, and the 787-10, which is more than eleven and a half meters longer. The 787-9 is by far the most successful. As of August 2026, 1,484 of the total 2,453 orders were for this model.

• The 787 is currently the only commercial aircraft in which cabin air isn’t drawn from the engines as bleed air. Instead, it enters the air conditioning system through separate intake openings in the fuselage.

• Unlike a fuselage made of aluminum, one made of composite materials doesn’t automatically act as a Faraday cage, so engineers incorporated fine metal fibers into segments of the 787’s fuselage. These ensure that lightning strikes can still be safely diverted around the cabin.

The Boeing 787 engine: the GEnx

The GEnx engine from GE is based on the proven architecture of the GE90. The GEnx-1B ver-sion was designed for medium-capacity widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. MTU is a risk-and revenue-sharing partner in the GEnx program with a share of around 6.7 percent. The company is responsible for developing, manufacturing, and assembling the turbine center frame. Here, MTU can draw on its experience with the turbine center frame for the GP7000, which is testament to this component’s reliability. As per MTU’s involvement in the program, MTU Maintenance is responsible for maintaining this turbine center frame.

MTU will also be introducing full overhaul capability for GEnx engines at its facility MTU Maintenance Fort Worth. The new long-term GE Aerospace Branded Services Agreement (GBSA) enables MTU Maintenance Fort Worth to serve as an authorized service provider for GEnx engines with highest level of training and support, as well as greater access to proprie-tary overhaul and repair technology.

Aviation journalist Andreas Spaeth recalls

On July 8, 2007, I was in Seattle to report on the Boeing 787. A few people might be aware that the Americans write this date as 7/8/07. It was therefore clear to Boeing early on that the rollout absolutely had to take place on that day, so the company organized a huge ceremony in nearby Everett. Thousands of employees and guests got to see the first 787-8, which seemed to be fully assembled and was painted in Boeing livery. It was then ceremoniously rolled out of the hangar and into the bright sunshine.

Like many other visitors, I walked under the aircraft and marveled as I knocked on the carbon-fiber fuselage, which had an unusual sound. I was impressed. But it quickly became clear that the event was primarily symbolic, as the aircraft on display was neither fully equipped nor airworthy. Even the engines were missing, the cabin was empty, and some openings in the fuselage had been covered up in only a makeshift manner.

The first passenger flight took place much later than originally planned. Initially, the start of regular service was scheduled for late 2008, but it wasn’t until almost three years later that we finally gathered for it at Tokyo’s Narita Airport. All Nippon Airways (ANA) was the launch customer and the first operator of the 787. Flight NH7871 was scheduled to depart from Tokyo for Hong Kong on October 26, 2011. After lengthy ceremonies, the aircraft finally took off, and we landed in Hong Kong four hours and seven minutes later.

Just three months after that, I was back in Tokyo, where ANA made history with the 787 again: On January 21, 2012, the Dreamliner’s first long-haul scheduled flight departed from Tokyo-Haneda for Frankfurt.