The first ultra long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft would land at the IGI Airport here on a test flight next week, even as Air India - which has ordered 27 of them - has sought compensation from the US manufacturer for their delayed deliveries.
Besides Air India, private carrier Jet Airways has placed orders for 10 of these planes. Coming in from Seattle via Tokyo, the Dreamliner would arrive here on July 13 and fly to Mumbai the next day, before taking off for other destinations abroad, sources said.
Japanese airline All Nippon Airways is the launch customer for the aircraft, having ordered 50 of them. While B 787-8 Dreamliner can carry 210-250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 km), the B 787-9 version can carry 250-290 people to places 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 km) away.